Pirate Pash
by Sorena
Summary: AU: On the way home with her brother's medicine one evening, Kagome is attacked and abducted by heartless pirates, and is sent to be killed by the captain of the ship himself. Will Inuyasha be cruel enough to throw her off the plank? IYKag
1. The Worst Day

Disclaimer: I don't own the Inuyasha characters, and I sure don't own the idea of pirates. I did do some research on them prior to writing this story, though! ^_^  
  
Summary: On the way home with her brother's medicine one evening, Kagome is attacked and abducted by heartless pirates, and is sent to be killed by the captain of the ship himself. Will Inuyasha be cruel enough to throw her off the plank? AU IY/Kag  
  
Why a new story, you ask? Firstly, nobody worry, this is not a sign that I've slowed down The Red Card, it's just that once I do something repeatedly, my interest for it fades away over long periods of time. I have no means on giving it up at all, I just want to start another story to maybe re-spark my interest and maybe speed in writing fan fictions.  
  
And on pirates, no less? For some reason, I find pirates to be really romantic, adventuring on the seas, you know? I know, I'm weird ^_^... I've also wanted to use this idea ever since the beginning, but I wanted to sharpen my writing skills before I began my most anticipated fiction.  
  
Tons of inspiration from a great author, Bishonen no Hime!  
  
That's all for now, and I hope you guys enjoy! Don't worry, this isn't an anguish fiction, it just starts out a little dark, but it lightens up very soon.  
  
Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 1 - The Worst Day  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"We will be arriving in approximately fifteen minutes, so everyone please remain seated until then to avoid tipping the boat." The plump man standing before the front of the wooden boat announced in a monotone-voice, before sighing and plopping back down onto his seat.  
  
It had been a painfully gruelling eight hours aboard this wooden rowboat, and of the ten passengers groaning from the seasickness, three of them had already regurgitated their breakfast into the water. The weather didn't seem to be picking up any either, the clouds were a dark, greyish colour and it looked like it was about to start pouring soon. Nothing was going right these days...  
  
'I wonder if Souta's alright...' The woman in the back of the boat pondered worriedly, gripping her hands tightly onto the fabric of her long, green skirt. 'If something happens to him now I don't know what I'll do...' Just remembering that made her panicky, and her muscles were beginning to tense up in her throat, and it was becoming worriedly difficult to breathe. She kindly asked the man to speed up the sea craft, but he pretended not to take notice of her and continued looking off at the water.  
  
Living on an island was terribly inconvenient. Her and her younger brother would have to board one of these tiny rowboats for hours, not to mention pay quite the expensive fee whenever they had to buy necessities not sold in their village. It was too bad nobody was dumb enough to buy anything on that damned island, or they would be selling that house and catching the next boat before you could say, "Go."  
  
She stared in envy at the abundance of people and excitement in the town not too far away. 'If it weren't for them...Souta and I would have been able to move here. And maybe then he wouldn't be sick. Maybe then Souta could have gotten the right medical care...'  
  
In the time she had been thinking about their lives, the boat had jerked to a halt aside a dock, and the rude man who had been ignoring her before sprung up from his seat and hurried all the passengers to step out. She took this opportunity to dash before the crowd as if it was a race. Every second was precious now.  
  
When she finally reached the town centre after running like a madman, she was out of breath and was panting choppily. She spotted a bench and decided to rest shortly to wipe the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand before she proceeded again. As she stood up to leave, she was surprised to see practically every person in town gathered around a raised wooden platform. The crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves, as there was a wave of clapping and hooting from the excited audience.  
  
Of course, she could never resist temptation of that sort. She stalked up quickly to observe with the massive crowd of people, only to hear their screams clearly. The ones that stood out the most sounded something like:  
  
"Assholes!"  
  
"Rot in hell, you demons!"  
  
They were shouting rude curses at the people on the platform, but along with their comments were big smiles plastered on their faces.  
  
'What's going on?' She thought and squinted slightly to get a clearer look at the source of this weirdness.  
  
There was a man standing with a black sack covering his face, revealing only his dark eyes. In his hands rested a shiny axe, already soaked at sharp end with blood. Some tough-looking, bearded men covered in grime were standing in a line with their hands secured dead tight with rope. From the expressions on their faces, they were obviously lining up for no prize.  
  
"What's going on?" She whispered to a fellow woman, who gripped her son with one hand, and a bag of groceries in the other. She was staring up at the platform with sheer delight, a wide smile on her lips.  
  
"You don't know?" The old woman asked, not bothering to pay the girl much attention. "They're finally executing the pirates they've captured! About damn time too, if I may say so myself! Didn't see the point of them rotting in those cells."  
  
Her eyes widened and she took another glance at the prisoners. "Oh...so now they're going to cut off their heads?"  
  
The woman stared at her like she was the biggest moron in the world, nodded oddly and proceeded back to shouting insults at the pirates.  
  
"Okay then..." Suddenly, the thought of her brother's serious illness immediately jumped back into her head, and she wanted to slap herself for her stupidity. Here she was, watching some execution and talking like an idiot, when her brother's life was winding down.  
  
Without bothering to take a second look back at the crowd, the young woman sped with all her might towards the medicine store she'd been so many times before.  
  
And unfortunately for her, she swore she caught a glimpse of a man she recognised from a few years ago, waiting in line on the platform for a split second before she turned to leave.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Welcome." The old man greeted when he heard the bell ring, signalling a new customer. That was always good news. "How may I help...why, is that you, Kagome?"  
  
He stared for a long time at the longhaired woman who entered the store; nobody could ever forget a beautiful face like hers. Strands of her dark hair stuck onto her pale white face, and her eyes...they were the most mysterious colour he'd ever seen. A greyish-blue shade, but today for some reason, they seemed to be filled with fear and anxiety. She had visited once in a while in the past few months to pick up medicine for her younger brother, but it was hard for her since they lived so far away.  
  
"Are you alright, dear?" He asked as she made her way to the counter hurriedly, a huge frown on her face.  
  
"Hi Myouga, I...I...Souta's sicker." She mumbled, now shaking with fear at the thought of her weak brother. "He's been like this for the past week, and I- I've tried everything! From chicken soup to lots of rest, b- but it's not working...he's getting worse by the day. Oh God, please help me...I'm afraid he's going to die, and...the doctor didn't know what to do either, I- I..."  
  
"Slow down, girl." Myouga interrupted Kagome calmly while pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil from his desk. "Now tell me what happened. From what I remember, your brother is not a healthy boy, is that correct?"  
  
Kagome dropped her head sadly and pulled the annoying piece of hair out of her eyes. "Yes. I used to rush here every time he started acting up. His eyes swell terribly, and his temperature rises so badly that he turns red, and I don't know what to..." She had a tear running down her cheek now, and that was rarely seen from her. She'd always stood strong, tried acting happy for her brother. She'd had to, or he'd think something awful was going to happen to him.  
  
But it was so hard to act...he'd only gotten worse by the hour. Kagome could never sleep some nights at her brother's coughs and wheezes, and the relief she could offer was limited. She'd have to be strong and embrace him while her only sibling was suffering...and manage not to cry at the same time.  
  
"Here." Myouga handed her a napkin and cleared his throat. "Why is today different from the other visits you've paid me? You seem much more distressed than usual."  
  
Kagome blew her nose and wiped her eyes before speaking up. "Yesterday night, I...I was just coming home from work when I saw him lying on the floor, his breaths were shorter than usual and he was steaming. Normally his forehead is warm, but it was practically on fire! I asked Dr. Mack from the Island," She trailed off, "but he's pretty much given up on Souta..."  
  
"Could it be he's given up because you can't afford to pay for the medical care, if you don't mind me asking?" Myouga pressed, trying not to accent the issue. It wasn't that he didn't want to help these poor kids, but nowadays, free assistance was unheard of. Everyone had to make a living in this rough world.  
  
This was exactly what Kagome didn't want to hear. "Myouga, I understand perfectly well myself that I don't make a good income from selling flowers, and I'm not at all asking for your pity. I just need to get the medicine now, but I PROMISE I will bring over the money I save up the second it reaches my hands. No matter how long it takes. I'll starve myself more if I have to...please, I'll even sign a contract." Her voice was stern as she continued. "Look, I'll even write in blood if that's what it'll take."  
  
He sighed and looked deeply into her determined eyes. The medicine she was acquiring today was fairly expensive, not anything at all like the cheap painkillers she normally purchased with her limited change. 'This woman...she has starved herself down madly, but she still uses every penny she earns on her brother's food and medicine.'  
  
"Oh...alright." He dropped the pencil back onto the counter. "But just this one time, Kagome. But I still need a contract from you." Myouga knew he was going to get a beating from his wife tonight, but if it could help save a youngster's life, even he was willing to help.  
  
The colour faded back into her face and it took her a second to grasp what she'd just heard. Souta was going to get better! And they were going to live normal lives! And he was going to be able to go out and make friends! And this kind man was going to help them!  
  
"Tha-thank you so much, Myouga! I-I promise I will pay to you every cent of the amount I owe, and I..." She couldn't help herself anymore and she leapt forward to give the short, old man the biggest hug imaginable. "You don't know how much this means to us. I'll never forget this, ever! You must be the nicest soul on this Earth, and I don't know how I can ever repay this kindness, and I..."  
  
He smiled and handed her the bottle with the pills inside. "Don't bother. Just remember to bring me the money someday, and if it's possible, I'd like to meet Souta. If he's anything at all like you, Kagome, he'd be an honour to meet. Now go off and feed it to him! Two times a day! Make him well again, young boys can't sleep inside all day!"  
  
She grinned brightly and gratefully took the package from him. "Thanks again, Myouga!" And with that, she stormed out the door to try to make the returning boat trip as soon as possible. She had to hurry, too. There was only one more departure for the night...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome reached the dock minutes before they were about to take off. When she had passed the wooden platform on her way here, not one person had remained at the site once the execution was over. She was rather disgusted at the sight of the heads of the pirates dangling on rope from a large pole. Pools of their blood gathered beneath them.  
  
"Serves those bastards right..." She'd whispered to herself as she passed them.  
  
Sadly for her, it was the same annoying fat man at the front of the boat. But as long as she didn't have to stay another night in this town, she'd be fine. She needed Souta to swallow these pills immediately, and she didn't want to think of what would have happened if she'd missed this ride.  
  
"Get in the boat, lady. We ain't got all day." Was the rude comment from the man. Sighing, Kagome stepped into the boat, past the other passengers who were giving her mean looks, and finally settled down in the back without a word.  
  
"We will be departing now! I REPEAT, we will be departing now!"  
  
This was going to be one looong night...  
  
And before she even realised it, the rocking motion of the boat had caused her to shut her eyes and fall into a deep slumber at the back of the boat, huddled under a pile of blankets. They smelt like seaweed, but at least they were warm.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I still don't know what the hell we're doing on this dinky piece of shit. Not even this fat ass here has much money on him. I don't know what Inuyasha was thinking..."  
  
Kagome's eyes snapped open suddenly at the sound of a new voice aboard the boat. There had been a ruckus a while back, she'd heard. But she had been so tired she instantly assumed it was a nightmare of some sort.  
  
Her blankets had covered her entire body whilst she was asleep, and all she could see when she opened her sleepy eyes was a big blur. Automatically, she pulled the blankets out of her face to see what the problem was. The sight of it alone almost made her pass out.  
  
There were two men with their backs to her, leaning over the other passengers sprawled out on their stomachs. From what she could see, they were rummaging through their possessions. What was even scarier about this picture was that the fat man and every passenger except for her were lying in pools of their own blood. It had been a real slaughterhouse in the time she was asleep and dreaming of dancing cows...  
  
Unable to hold back the fear anymore, Kagome tried with all her might, but she could not hold back the tiny squeak that emerged from the back of her throat as she covered her entire body with the blanket again. Though this time, she was shuddering and gasping for air unnaturally.  
  
'Oh please don't find me here...I have to stay still, and they might leave me alone. I hope my hair's not showing...' Kagome thought while holding the blanket over her head as still as possible.  
  
"Well, let's leave this piece of shit. Nothing here worth taking except for some small change from the fat ass." One voice said to the other, and Kagome could hear their feet stomping towards the opposite direction.  
  
'Thank you lord!' Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and started to relax a little more. When she did so, her leg slipped off the wood it was resting on, and made a slight banging sound.  
  
'Oh shit!'  
  
"What the hell was that?" She heard the other man shout suddenly, and she just about passed out when she heard both men's heavy footsteps quickly heading towards her.  
  
'Maybe...if I stand up and jump into the water I can swim back to town and, wait...I've been sleeping for so long that I don't have a clue how far away we are from town and...' Before Kagome could even finish her thought a strong force of pressure hit her in the stomach, hard, and she groaned and bent over from the pain....it felt as if a truck had run over her stomach, considering she had never quite been hit that hard before, or at all, rather.  
  
The blankets slipped off her injured body unnoticeably as she was bending over and hugging her stomach from the discomfort. She raised her wobbly head slightly to get a better look at people who had done this to her. And when she did, it was like her worst nightmare before her eyes again.  
  
They were PIRATES...surrounded by dieing people.  
  
"Well, lookie what we got here! We've got ourselves a hiding woman!" The man with the long, black braid laughed loudly as he inspected Kagome with his eyes, seemingly enjoying the image she was projecting: grabbing onto the sides of the boat so tightly her knuckles turned white, and her eyes were bulging wide with fear.  
  
'I'm...I'm going to die, and so is Souta if I can't get this to him. I can't die now! I just can't!' She looked at the other man, who had a long beard and was grinning slightly. The sight of it was enough to send even more of a sick feeling straight to her stomach.  
  
"Hey Hiten, she's a pretty one, she is! Can I have a little fun with her before we kill her?" He asked innocently, and it took every last thread of Kagome's persistence not to plunge into the water to her death.  
  
"Wait..." The Hiten guy walked up to her and stuck out a hand to yank her up by pulling her hair sharply.  
  
"Owww..." She moaned and her body hung in the air with no persistence, it was still frail from the kick she had received earlier.  
  
He spotted from the corner of his eyes a little bag she was trying to conceal behind her quivering thigh. "What the hell's that?"  
  
Kagome swallowed a little too obviously and wheezed, "What?"  
  
"This." And with that he reached behind her and in an instant snatched the package from her hands. She barely had time to notice as he ripped open the packaging with one hand, the other still holding her up by the hair, until he reached the bottle inside with the pills for Souta.  
  
"What you need drugs for, little lady?" The bearded man inquired with a chuckle, "You sick or something?"  
  
Finally, Kagome caught her breath and screeched whilst shaking her body frantically, "I don't have to tell you pirates anything! And you can't make me!"  
  
Personally, she wasn't sure herself what was slipping out of her mouth. The smell of the seawater was making her a little bonkers...because she was pretty certain that if they decided to resort to torture, she would be spilling her guts like a grandpa telling a story.  
  
A tip of a sword was brought up to her neck suddenly, and it was so dangerously close that Kagome feared swallowing would cause her throat to graze the blade. The bearded man smiled proudly at his accomplishment and Hiten took this opportunity to peer into the bottle again. He turned it this way and that in his hands and read aloud on the bottle, "Souta: take twice a day with water." He grinned and tossed the bottle in the air before snatching it again, making Kagome almost lose her breath. "So it's probably not for you, huh? Souta doesn't sound like a girl's name. A father maybe? Or is it a brother? A lover?"  
  
He was toying with her, waiting for her to talk or do something to scratch her neck on the blade. She knew he couldn't care less who Souta was. He seemed to pick up the fact that she wasn't responding, and asked, "So what is your name, pretty lady? And answer me. You'll regret it dearly if you don't."  
  
"No." Kagome gasped as loudly as possible, her heart pounding a mile a minute. She was about to die anyways, so she might as well die with pride. Anyways, she wasn't half as worried about herself as she was about Souta. No one would take care of him now, and he would be sick, and so alone...  
  
"Oh really? So will you still be so strong when I do...this?" Kagome watched with terror as the satisfied pirate threw the medicine she was treasuring so much flatly into the dark ocean. The 'splash' of the water sent Kagome's stomach on a mad flip-flop.  
  
That was it...it was all over for them. Souta was as good as gone, as well as herself. Why bothered trying anymore? Pirates were really out to ruin the world...hers in particular.  
  
She didn't hold back anymore as she screamed, "Nooooooo! How could you? HOW COULD YOU? I NEEDED that you bastard!"  
  
Hiten's amused face was starting to bother her just then, so uncontrollably she slapped him one across the face with all her might. "I hate you!"  
  
Okay, so now she was officially going to be tortured and beheaded.  
  
"BITCH!" The bearded man shouted and lunged at Kagome after he saw what happened, but stopped halfway when Hiten held out a hand to stop him. Hiten had an intrigued look on his face, along with the red mark on his cheek.  
  
"But Hiten," He asked worriedly at his partner's unusual behaviour, "She slapped you!"  
  
"True." He nodded and turned back to face a now-panicking Kagome. "But just killing her now wouldn't be half as satisfying as taking her to our captain to be taken care of. Girl, you'll wish you were killed by us a hundred times rather than meet this guy."  
  
The bearded man chuckled madly all of a sudden and gave Kagome a wicked smile. "Great idea, Hiten!"  
  
Kagome gulped as they tugged her by the hair into their own tiny rowboat while muttering, "Come on, we're going someplace."  
  
The bearded man tried hard to shade his mysterious smirk from Kagome as he started rowing, but he failed as she caught a clear glimpse of it. It was only making her more terrified. Was their captain as horrible as they described? But in a weird sort of way, Kagome now felt as if she could do anything...after all, Souta couldn't be helped anymore, so what was the point of carrying on herself when she was going to be living a guilt trip for the rest of her life alone?  
  
But it would have been nicer if she could have said goodbye to him first...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After an awkward and uncomfortable boat ride with Hiten still holding the sword against her neck, Kagome found it was easier this time round to breathe, simply because he wasn't quite paying attention to her. His mind was noticeably on something else. Kagome had noticed that people liked to ignore her a lot...  
  
"We're here."  
  
They had drifted for a while and had slowly entered a grey fog. It was so thick that Kagome could barely make out anything. The only thing that stood out was the bright lights shining from the ship standing grandly before them. The music was blasting from the inside, and there were cheerful shouts and people singing drunk, from what it sounded like.  
  
The bearded man tied the boat they were in to the large ship, and preceded to grab the rope ladder hanging from the side of the boat. If it were under normal circumstances, Kagome would have complained about it looking, 'quite unsafe.' But this was considered anything but normal.  
  
"Follow me up the ladder." The bearded man demanded and started going up the wooden steps one at a time carefully, as if he was afraid to fall. Some pirate, killing people like mad and scared to fall into the water himself.  
  
Deciding not to protest because she REALLY didn't want to be thrown into the ocean here, or anywhere, Kagome sadly obliged and grabbed the dangling rope ladder and followed the bearded man. Halfway up one of her hands slipped on the bars because it was slippery, and she ended up accidentally...well, sort of...whamming Hiten in the face with her shoe.  
  
"What the...fuck? Bitch! I'd kill you right now if we weren't handing you over to Inuyasha, woman." He growled from beneath her, and from the tone in his voice it was more than enough to make her veins pop out.  
  
Kagome didn't reply, and continued grumbling quietly to herself. 'I hate pirates...I hate them! They must be out to destroy my life because just when I think I'm lucky for making the last boat, pirates kill everyone on it except me so now I get to be special and sentenced to be killed by their insane captain! My day just keeps getting better...'  
  
"What are you dreaming about up there? We don't have all day on this ladder!" Hiten called up rudely only to have Kagome ignore him one more time, as she continued to step up the ladder one step at a time painfully slow. The bearded man was long up at the top and looking down, a huge frown on his face.  
  
"Oh yea, and I can see up your skirt from here..." Hiten added jokingly, and it seemed to work quite efficiently. Kagome stormed up the ladder immediately, or as quickly as she could manage with one hand doing the climbing and the other holding down the back of her skirt.  
  
"Pervert." She mumbled as she brought her leg over the side of the boat.  
  
He chuckled while jumping over the edge himself. "Nope. Just honest."  
  
"Well, well. Look what Hiten dragged in..."  
  
"What?" Kagome turned to locate the source of the voice, and saw what she thought was the only thing possibly worse than these pirates.  
  
More pirates. All staring at her as if she was the first woman they had ever seen in their life. The loud music was still blaring, but the singing was long gone. Instead, around eighty pairs of eyes pierced into Kagome with interest.  
  
"What'd you bring a woman on board for, Hiten? You should know they're bad luck!" A man hollered from the back of the crowd, but Kagome couldn't see his face. Then, he muttered ever so faintly, "One's bad enough as it is..."  
  
He was cut off by a loud bang, followed by a pained groan. Kagome wasn't paying too much attention to it because she was too busy absorbing that piece of information. 'What did he say? There's another woman aboard? Maybe I can meet her and convince her to let me go...sounds crazy enough but it might just work.'  
  
"I know why! He wants to keep her, bastard!" Another man shouted from the crowd. "You think WE don't want women with us? Why do you think you can have one with you?"  
  
"Shut the fuck up, guys!" Hiten raised both hands in the air to quiet them slightly while Kagome just stood behind him to avoid the stares. "I don't want nothing to do with this bitch! She dared to slap me, so I'm handing her to Inuyasha to be taken care of!"  
  
A sigh of relief was the reaction of the crowd of pirates.  
  
"But Hiten...she's such a pretty one. Won't that be a waste?" Once again another man asked.  
  
Kagome didn't know whether to feel complimented or to be frightened to her death just then.  
  
"Nah." Hiten stared at her coldly. "Who likes violent women anyways?"  
  
All the hands on the boat rose immediately.  
  
"Knock it off, guys! Watch this..." He smiled and turned around to shove Kagome backwards with some force. She pushed right back at him instantly. "See? Wouldn't you guys just love to see Inuyasha take care of a girl like this? Who knows? She might just slap him back!"  
  
Everyone on the boat roared out in laughter, including the bearded man from earlier and Hiten. Trying to use this time as a distraction, she peered over the side of the boat and was planning ways to jump into the tiny rowboat when...  
  
"What's going on here?"  
  
The group of pirates quieted in a matter of seconds as they noticed the arrival of a stern-looking man, with long black hair down to his back and a scabbard at his side, walk onto the deck from inside the boat. He noticed right away that everyone seemed to be surrounding Hiten and somebody else behind him, so he stalked right up to them. "Well, Hiten? What the hell is going on?"  
  
"Well, Captain. We've got ourselves a troublemaker here. You see, this woman..." Hiten didn't seem to get a chance to finish his explanation.  
  
"A woman?" Inuyasha growled suddenly and Kagome felt a firm hand wrap around her neck. "I thought I told you morons NOT to bring any women onto this ship!" He shoved Hiten aside with his arm to take a closer look at what wench he had chosen to bring aboard when his expression completely changed and he began to stare at her blankly.  
  
Kagome's face had paled while he held her in the air by the neck without a care in the world, and he was being so rough with her already- battered body that she felt like defiance was probably out of the question.  
  
It didn't help matters with Inuyasha screaming in her ear while shaking her around in the air to emphasize his point. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO COME HERE TO FACE ME? BITCH!!!"  
  
He was practically snarling now, ready to tear her apart with his hands. Kagome was so terrified now that she even started praying to the Gods for help. But why was he so angry with her? It was as if he had met her before on horrific terms. "I didn't...ask to come here..." She breathed out, "I was captured...and brought here..."  
  
Sighing, Inuyasha dropped her, causing her to land on her stomach loudly, practically ripping the wood by the sound of it. "I don't want to hear it. Miroku! Sango!"  
  
Two people ran out from amongst the group watching excitedly, and Kagome could tell from the legs of one of them that one was most likely a girl. Or a man with very feminine legs. "Yes, Captain?"  
  
"Lock her in the dungeons. She'll be thrown off the plank tomorrow." He said firmly before taking his leave back into the room he came from.  
  
Kagome was so worn out from the harassment throughout the day that she didn't even protest when the two people dragged her away by the arms.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: So, how'd everyone like it? I would LOVE to get some feedback on this story, and I'm really hoping you guys like it. I have so much to go with this story and I'm really excited about writing it. ^_^  
  
And let's all hope Inuyasha lightens up in the next chapter!  
  
So please review, and until next time!  
  
*~Sorena~* 


	2. Surrogate Woman

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co. don't belong to me.  
  
AN: For those wondering if I've seen the Disney movie, "Pirates of the Caribbean", I haven't. But I really want to! I wanted to write this a long time ago, but after all these pirate movies came out I just felt so inspired! Well, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. And my kitty cat disappeared for two weeks...I miss him.  
  
Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 2 - Surrogate Woman  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Her vision was a blurry mess, and Kagome found it practically impossible to see from the position she was in. Slouched over facing the floor with two sets of hands grabbing her arms and pulling her along, her feet hanging on the floor. A sharp tang of pain suddenly jabbed at her head and neck, and all of sudden she remembered everything clearly.  
  
'That's right...I was captured by pirates. I was hoping it had only been a nightmare...guess I was wrong. What time is it anyways? Am I being taken away to die?' Surprisingly enough, Kagome didn't quite fear death at the moment. After all, it was probably only going to sting for a second or so, depending on how she died, and then everything would become all black and she'd dream on forever. Or maybe...she would come back as a butterfly, or even a ghost!  
  
Either way, she had partially lost her will to live, and the only thing that popped into her head was Souta's face. How was he going to feel now if his sister died as well? He couldn't work to support himself, let alone stand up straight.  
  
During her thoughts, Kagome felt an unfamiliar hand innocently take its place on her behind. Before she could react to it...  
  
"Miroku!" She heard this 'Miroku' guy get slapped as he grudgingly removed his hand, and from the voice of the person who just yelled, it was a girl. "How dare you grope an unconscious girl?!"  
  
"I swear, Sango! I just saw a bug resting there, and I thought I could help the damsel by removing it." He replied with the tone of a five- year-old.  
  
"You...you pervert!" Sango shouted, and Kagome felt the grip on her arm get tighter with rage. "There WAS no bug, moron! You just wanted to grope her!"  
  
"Sango..." His voice lightened as if he was shocked to hear the news. "I can't believe you would say such thing about me! I am, after all, an ex-monk."  
  
"...Who is now a pirate." Sango smugly added for him.  
  
Kagome could then feel a pair of eyes digging into her back. "...Poor girl, did you see how rough Inuyasha was with her? And now she's going to die, for no reason at all." When those words escaped his mouth, Kagome felt as if somebody had socked her in the face. She was suddenly terrified of that fact, and she didn't want to die...and she was a good girl! She never stole, never cheated, never did anything wrong...and here she was being sentenced to death. Unable to hold back the fright, Kagome started sniffling quietly, her body ragged from the sobs.  
  
"Hey, stop changing the subject!" Sango yelled when she felt the body they were holding start to shake. "...she's awake."  
  
Miroku swooped his head down below hers to catch a quick glimpse of her face. "And crying."  
  
"Please...please..." Kagome whispered while staring at the floor, not caring at all now who saw or heard her crying. These two people seemed kind enough, so maybe they would reconsider what Inuyasha said. "I - I don't want to die, please...help me."  
  
The two above her remained silent for a while as they continued carrying her along. Then she heard Sango speak faintly, and apologetically. "I'm so sorry, but we can't help you..."  
  
"Miss...it is not of our intention to kill you, but of our Captain. Even if we were to ask him, we would only be shouted at. And if we let you go now, as much as we'd like to, he'd have our heads for it." Miroku explained wearily as they descended down a set of stairs. Kagome felt her legs run over each step with a jolt as she held back more tears. They were entering a dark hallway now, with faint light shining from the candles on the walls.  
  
"But I...I didn't do anything wrong...did I?" She said in a throaty voice because of her tears, "I was just getting medicine for my brother..."  
  
"Please don't cry again, fair lady. As long as Sango and I have been here, Inuyasha hasn't killed a single woman. Maybe he'll lighten up later and agree to let you go..." He reassured her calmly, but couldn't help but contradict himself in his head. 'but then again...she's the first woman prisoner they've ever brought on board.'  
  
Though that helped her relax the tiniest bit, Kagome was about to ask another question when they stopped before a box metal room, with hay covering the grey floors and steel bars lining down to prevent escape. There was a small bin in the corner too for...oh no...  
  
"Oh god, PLEASE don't put me in there, I beg of you!" She suddenly jumped up and started spacing as far a distance between herself and the cell as possible. "It's dark, and dirty, and...disgusting!"  
  
"I'm so sorry..." Sango said again this time with her eyes slightly watery, grabbing a hold of Kagome's cold hand and squeezing it.  
  
"May you be blessed." Was all Miroku said as he pushed her into the dark room, ignoring her kicks and shouts of protest. "Have a good night's sleep." He slammed the door hesitantly and turned the key in its place. That sound made Kagome cringe inside.  
  
'HAVE A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP? You mean have a good LAST night's sleep!' Kagome would've screamed that madly at him if they already hadn't disappeared in the dim light of the hallway...  
  
So doing the only thing possible in an isolated room, Kagome nestled down as far away from the bin as possible, and tried to find something interesting to focus on, like a piece of hay. It was weird though, because just two days ago she was sleeping in her own comfortable bed, unknowing that that was one of her last days. "This sucks..." Kagome grumbled to herself trying to be funny, but only ended up bawling like a sick cat. She cried away all of her frustrations for what she thought felt like an hour, before giving in to her body's demand and falling into a deep sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Upstairs, in the private bedroom right above the jail, Inuyasha laid in bed, not able to fall asleep because of that damned woman's crying. It was hardly unusual for him to hear screaming and crying all night, since he was unlucky enough to be the one stuck with the room above the jail. But all those hussies were men, and for all he cared, men didn't cry. Not in public, not alone, ever.  
  
When she finally shut the hell up after sobbing and sobbing for hours on end, he rolled to his side hurriedly and mumbled to himself, "Finally!" But no matter just how hard he tried, he could not fall asleep. Angrily, Inuyasha tossed and turned in bed, growling. This insomnia was enough to turn his hair white...  
  
'Why can't I fucking fall asleep?' He kicked off his blankets harshly. 'And why can't I stop thinking about her? She's going to die for all I care!'  
  
But his body didn't react quite the same as his mind did. He jumped out of bed in a huff and dressed into his normal clothing. Even he had to admit. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Yet. First he had to squeeze a little information out of her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome awoke to a loud "Bang!'" in the hallway, followed by a rude profanity as she scrambled over to the bars to get a clearer look. She couldn't see a thing in the darkness, which meant the candles on the walls had somehow blown out.  
  
"Sango? Miroku? Are you there?" She called eagerly, praying that they had changed their minds and had come to release her from this hellhole.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Why would you want to talk to those morons?" The voice in the dark spoke in a sarcastic tone before stepping into the light. "Aren't I good enough for you?"  
  
Kagome stared for a while at the man standing in front of the cell door. It was...it was that evil captain guy! What was he doing down here anyways? When he stepped a little closer, she made a pathetic fist in both hands and warned, "Don't come any closer!!!"  
  
It was sad, really.  
  
"Don't worry, I don't bite." She heard a chuckle before he somehow swung open the door and stepped in, slamming it after him. Obviously he thought she was going to use this opportunity to escape. He was right.  
  
She was cowering in fear, while giving off the impression she wasn't scared at all. He stared at her and scoffed, "You're acting rather oddly, Kikyou. And you cut your hair... Why? Your boyfriend not like it?"  
  
"What? Who?" What the heck was this weirdo talking about?  
  
"Keh. Don't give me that bullshit. Why the hell are you here?" He snapped at her dense remark. "If you think you're crawling your sorry ass back to me, you can fucking forget it!"  
  
Her eyes widened with questions as she remained still. "What? Who's Keekio?"  
  
Inuyasha chuckled and suddenly appeared before her, grabbing her chin in his hands tightly. "So you're playing this amnesia game, huh?" He jabbed a finger at her nose. "You want to know who Kikyou is? She's the hoar that left with another man! YOU!"  
  
A wave of relief washed over her and she smiled gratefully while pushing his finger away. "I'm not Keekio! I'm Kagome Higurashi! You have the wrong girl!"  
  
The look on his face was downright priceless. First, he watched her as if she was bloody insane, then he backed away in horror. "Wha-? But you're...you're Kikyou! Stop fucking kidding!"  
  
"I can assure you I am not this 'Keekio' you are speaking of, but Kagome. I live on an island with my younger brother." She said restlessly, completely relieved that he found out about this before he made her jump the plank.  
  
"But you have to be! You look just like her! Prove you're not Kikyou!" He demanded angrily, grabbing a fistful of his own long hair from the frustration. "PROVE IT!" She was just thankful he wasn't pulling her hair.  
  
"Um..." She just had to prove herself to him, or else... well, the saying, 'everyone has a twin somewhere in this world' was no joke. Kagome glanced down at herself, puzzling what she could pick up. She pointed to herself and said convincingly, "I'm a different size?"  
  
"Nah...you're around the same height, and you could've easily put on the weight in the time you were gone." Inuyasha retorted, ignoring the angry look on her face. "Keh. I'm still not convinced...or are you just making this shit up, Kikyou?"  
  
'How do I prove it to him...it can't be that hard...' Kagome smiled suddenly and pointed at her face. "Look at my face carefully. There is NO way two people can look exactly alike. We must be different somehow. Just look."  
  
"Well, your eyes ARE a little bit further apart than hers, and your nose a tad larger. And your skin not as fair as hers, and..."  
  
"That's enough!" She shouted, glaring him down with daggers. "Is that enough proof we're not the same person?"  
  
He thought this over with precise detail. But all of the above could be because he'd forgotten her face over the distant time they'd been apart. "I'm not sure...I...I got it!" He yelled suddenly when he remembered something.  
  
"What is it?" Kagome asked excitedly, her hands clapping together with joy.  
  
He shuffled towards her with a huge smile on his normally unemotional face. Inuyasha chuckled along the whole while he was doing so, scaring the bloody hell out of her. 'What's he doing?' Immediately, he snagged the two front parts of her blouse with his hands, and to her surprise, tore them open without a second glance.  
  
"Pervert!" He got a well-deserved slap for that. She embarrassingly covered her half-bare chest with her hands.  
  
"BITCH!" Inuyasha could still feel the sting in that slap. He was almost NEVER hit, so this came on as quite a shock. "You little..." Using an old technique, he held her in the air by the neck with his unimaginably strong grip. Kagome had gotten rather used to this neck abusing, so she chose to keep her big mouth shut for once. She shuddered when he harshly brought his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Listen, bitch. NOBODY ever touches me, ever! Let alone hit me! I'll let you off as a warning now, seeing as you're going to die tomorrow anyways!"  
  
'Wha-? Then that means, he never planned to let me go? Then why did I have to prove myself?' She held back a sob in the air, "Then...why did you rip my shirt?" About to add on an insult, smartly she decided to keep it to herself.  
  
"To see this." Surprisingly, Inuyasha swept her hair aside with a soothing stroke, while she held perfectly still the entire time from the weirdness of it all. Oddly, he seemed to take an interest on her collarbone, seeing as he stared at it for a few seconds before dropping her to the floor for the second time that day. "No birthmark. So you're not Kikyou, are you?"  
  
"Apparently not." She mumbled while rubbing her neck. "So I'm innocent it seems...PLEASE Inuyasha sir...please let me go home to my sick brother. He's all alone and - "  
  
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" He demanded cruelly before taking his leave out the door. "You think I'd let you go freely after you fucking slapped me? I'd think not, girl! No prisoners are still alive after they run into us, and I'd like it to keep it that way! See you on the plank tomorrow morning."  
  
And with that, he locked the cell door tightly into place before mysteriously disappearing down the corridor just like Sango and Miroku had.  
  
"I...I wanna go home..." Kagome cried again in the dark, releasing all of her anger into that one sentence, not caring just how much she probably sounded like a child. "And it smells in here..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Lass! Wake up!"  
  
Kagome heard the deep voice rumble before scattering up from her comfy pile of hay; after all, since it was her last night to sleep she might as well be comfortable. So there she sat, watching the man carefully, inspecting his every motion with the most care.  
  
After the jerk had left last night, she had created a foolproof plan to get out of this place...and as long as Inuyasha wasn't the one bringing her this morning, it was most certainly going to work.  
  
Luckily for her, it was some tall, lanky guy with a few hairs above his lips, and if she wasn't mistaken, he seemed to be blushing a little. "Lady, I'll need you to come with me."  
  
Kagome suddenly screeched a sound of sheer pain, reaching for her thigh and grasping it deadly tight, her teeth biting on to her lower lip. "Owww...my thigh hurts...so much...I think I might have pulled it or something...Ow!" What followed next were a few of her wonderfully perfected sobs and rants. "It hurts so much! Shit! It hurts like hell! It hurts..." She was just whining like a baby now, but if everything went as planned, it would all be worth it.  
  
"Miss, are you alright?" The idiot fumbled with his keys hurriedly, trying to find the correct one of the collection of dozens. He was in such a hurry, actually, that when he finally fitted the right key into the door and swung it open, he actually left it open.  
  
"No, I'm not...my thigh hurts sooo much..." Like hook and sinker that sucker fell for it, running up to her so-called injured leg and taking a closer look, blushing full on when she lifted her skirt slightly for him to get a better glimpse of it. 'I figured...they're so women deprived here.'  
  
"I don't see anything wrong with your leg, miss..."  
  
"Are you sure? Because it hurts so much..." Using this opportunity wisely, she grabbed the bin she had carefully treasured underneath the hay she had been sleeping on, and harshly brought it down on the poor guy's head, making a huge "CRASH" sound as it collided with his skull. He passed out without a word as his limp body slipped down to the filthy floor.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that." She mumbled absently as she slipped out the cell doors and away, still thanking God that it hadn't been Inuyasha or the other two who came to pick her up.  
  
To her benefit, there hadn't been a single person in the hallway or on the stairs up to the main floor of the ship, but that was the problem. Everyone was probably gathered there, especially if she was supposed to jump the plank and into the ocean filled with sharks and who knows what else. She shuddered at the thought.  
  
"Hey, why isn't the girl here yet? I'm getting bored!" She heard someone say on deck with eagerly. It downright scared the hell out of her.  
  
Kagome decided to head the other way quickly, and meanwhile look over the edge and try to find the boat she had arrived in with Hiten and the bearded guy. If she was lucky enough, maybe she could get into the boat and row away. That would definitely be the end of this horrific story...except she'd still have no medicine to show for it. Not to mention she'd owe Myouga tons of money.  
  
But to her luck again, nobody was on the backside of the boat, which made it easy for her to look over the edge while racing at top speed.  
  
Not bothering to look ahead, she full-on smashed into something hard and flew back from the pressure, landing uncomfortably on her behind. "What the -?"  
  
"Where the hell do you think you're going?"  
  
She looked up and would've choked on her own saliva if her mouth hadn't been so dry from the running. She had run smack into Inuyasha's chest, and now he was towering over her with his silhouette figure. "You can always swim later, you know."  
  
Kagome looked up at him sheepishly, suddenly feeling so tiny. "I...I - "  
  
He sighed with annoyance and didn't seem to be making a notion to helping her get back up on her feet. "You didn't think you could actually get away, did you? I could hear your loud footsteps from my room." He smiled, which surprised her. "And the sound of you knocking out that guy."  
  
She was speechless actually. He didn't seem to be angry with her for trying to escape, just somewhat annoyed. "So, if you didn't like that guy, and I knocked him out for you, doesn't that kind of make up for my punishment?"  
  
Kagome noticed he was trying to hold back a snigger. But of course, he didn't want to lose the image he was projecting, so he barked, "Not at all. If I didn't like him don't you think I would've gotten rid of him by now? I don't need some bitch doing my dirty work for me." He paused and stared at her seriously, "He's one of the better guys on this ship, actually. I'm kind of pissed off you did hit him."  
  
She lowered her gaze ever so innocently. "Oh...sorry..."  
  
"I don't really care though. But I DID ask Miroku and Sango to go fetch your lazy ass for him, but they didn't want to do it. Those sons of..." When he looked up, the girl had turned around and ran away at full speed. "Hey! Bitch! Come back here!"  
  
She couldn't stop running. Not now. Not ever. She had to get away from this guy. Though she had to admit, after she proved she wasn't this Keekio girl last night, he was a tad nicer to her than when they first met. If you considered making a girl kill herself 'nicer'.  
  
"Hey! Get the hell back here!" She could hear him hollering from a distance away, which was fantastic. At least she was managing to stay away from him...and now she had to find this boat. "You idiot! Get back here!"  
  
"Wha-?" She glared over her shoulder and saw Inuyasha chasing after her at an unbelievable speed, his hair flinging in the wind. But when her eyesight was unfocused on what was in front of her, somebody or something managed to grab her around the waist forcefully and quickly.  
  
"Gotcha!" The gruff voice behind her said, and Kagome looked down at her waist to see the most hideous hands she had ever seen in her life. "Captain! I got her!"  
  
Inuyasha didn't reply, but instead walked over to them with what appeared to look like a disappointed expression on his face. 'I wonder what he's mad about...' She thought curiously, feeling a tang of disappointment at being caught.  
  
"Good job, Manten." He said with the barest hint of gladness in his voice.  
  
When Kagome whizzed her head around to see this Manten character, she almost fainted at the mere appearance of him. Bald except for three pieces of hair resting on his shiny head, quite obese, and those slits for eyes were practically piercing her. He downright looked like a monster! "Uh..."  
  
"Inuyasha, should I tie her to the mast for the ceremony?" He questioned dubiously, looking incredibly proud of his work.  
  
"Huh?" The captain glanced over nonchalantly, but nodded when his brain sorted out what Manten had just said. "Oh yea. Go ahead."  
  
"What ceremony?" Kagome asked curiously when Manten began carrying her over to the huge wooden pole in the middle of the ship.  
  
"We have a celebration and feast before anyone jumps the plank. It's a festivity around here, but then again, why am I telling you this?" He answered without a second thought before strapping her with rope around the thick support beam.  
  
'They're partying before I die? So much for my hope of dying an old woman in my bed...' She opened her eyes and absorbed the surroundings around her. There must have been everyone on the deck now, sitting down and watching her as they dug into their giant plates of food.  
  
Inuyasha was joining them, plopping down nearby and grabbing a stuffed hen to munch on. For someone who supposedly loved to kill people, he looked pretty pestered.  
  
"You know, you are such a gorgeous girl..." She shuddered nervously at the sick feel of Manten breathing on her face. "Such a waste for Inuyasha to kill you, maybe if you agree to stay with me I can arrange so you don't have to die, what about it?"  
  
"No thanks." It was as simple as that. She would seriously rather die than spend the rest of her life suffering with this ugly man.  
  
"What? You'd rather die?!" His face burned with anger as his crewmates began to laugh under their breath. "You little bitch!" He raised his right hand high up in the air...  
  
Kagome shut her eyes, preparing to take the slap when,  
  
"Owww!"  
  
Opening her eyes, Inuyasha had grabbed the hand Manten was about to use to slap her and twisted it back so that he was moaning in pain. He said seriously, not bothering to loosen his hold, "Don't fucking touch her."  
  
"But Inuyasha..." He whined angrily and finally pulled away from the tight and painful grip. "Why the hell are you helping out this wench?"  
  
"Keh. How the hell should I know?" He replied immediately with a smirk, "But who could blame her for refusing your offer?"  
  
A huge roar of laughter emerged from the amused crowd.  
  
Actually, he had been rather surprised when he heard her brave answer from where he sat. After all, any woman would have rather taken that offer than have to die. She was sure a lot tougher than he gave her credit for.  
  
He stared at the woman still tied on the mast coldly. "Hey, you." Inuyasha pulled out his sharp sword and swiped it in front of her face before professionally sliding it back into his scabbard.  
  
Kagome was waiting for that cut to tear into her body. But it never came. 'Why doesn't it hurt? Didn't he cut me with that sword?' Instead, when she opened her questioning eyes, she discovered that the rope bonding her had dropped to the floor. "I'm free?"  
  
"Nah. It's just time for you to jump the plank."  
  
The reaction of the crowd was unimaginable. Rum bottles were chucked into the air, and everyone was hooting and clapping with excitement. At the same time, people started cheering proudly, "INUYASHA! INUYASHA! INUYASHA!"  
  
For some reason, Inuyasha couldn't feel the same glory he felt every time his crew did that for him. Of course, in order to prevent them from whispering among themselves and rebelling against him, he had to stand tall as the fearless and cruel leader.  
  
Then why did he feel like such an asshole? It may have been because she was a weak woman, and he'd never made any woman jump the plank before. But if it was just ANY woman he was pretty sure he wouldn't be this hesitant to make her jump. After all, anything to keep his crew thinking he was some sort of a hero.  
  
So if that wasn't it, then most likely it was because she resembled Kikyou so much. Kikyou...that name rang in his head like a terrible memory, not wanting to be blocked out.  
  
He had met the woman back in the days when he was a young sailor, struggling like all the others to make their earnings every month. She had been the beautiful piano player who played the piano on the pier every morning, as she was often given money from the sailors because of her starlet looks.  
  
They definitely wouldn't have met under normal circumstances since Inuyasha was one hell of a hardworking 16 year old. His mind was on anything but women at the time, but rather on his career. So when Kikyou expressed an interest in him from watching him each day, she began to take more breaks to walk over to the boats to introduce herself to him.  
  
Boy, had he gotten enough punches from the guys for that.  
  
He couldn't even remember how she did it, but in some mysterious way the gorgeous piano player had managed to get him to fall in love with her. They'd go on dates on his free days, and occasionally meet up to chat up on good times.  
  
But it was when Kikyou wanted to get married that everything changed dramatically. She wanted him to quit his part-time sailor job and go into something more professional to support the two of them. But he couldn't do it. He loved working on the ocean way too much to throw it all behind.  
  
The week following that, a group of sailors including himself sailed out to do a check-up on a missing boat when their own ship was attacked by a group of pirates. All the soldiers were killed except himself, as he was taken as a slave to clean the boat.  
  
Once he gained more respect with everyone on the boat, he managed to train dead hard and eventually he managed to earn enough respect to join the pirate crew.  
  
But that boat had a terrible captain, always sending men off to die in order to save himself. So secretly one day they all gathered and planned a way to get rid of him, sending Inuyasha as the one to do the dirty work. He killed the guy, of course, and was voted by the crew as the new captain of the boat.  
  
It was a huge honour since it was extremely rare that a slave could somehow work up to becoming a captain, but his strong will showed, and not for one second did he think of giving up. Eventually he even made his ship one of the strongest around.  
  
But the entire time he vowed to himself he'd go back to reunite with Kikyou. As a matter of fact, he was so devoted to seeing her again that he was willing to give all this up to marry her, as much as he loved pirating.  
  
So when he received word his love had eloped with another man and moved out of the city, his heart was shattered into two, and so there he remained, as the captain of the pirate boat he had grown to accept.  
  
That would explain why he didn't want to kill this counterfeit of Kikyou. She was so much stronger than Kikyou was, and for some odd reason he wanted her to stay around, maybe even to have as the Kikyou he wasn't able to keep.  
  
But he couldn't do that. It was a rule embarked upon this ship: No women allowed. They brought bad luck, they distracted from the fighting, and they made the men into flower-smelling hussies. Sango was an exception though.  
  
"Well, captain?" Manten asked impatiently as all eyes were on him while he daydreamed. "Aren't you going to come watch her jump?"  
  
"Huh?" He looked over and spotted the Kikyou look-alike standing at the end of the plank, her pleading and watery eyes begging him to reconsider as she looked at him with fear.  
  
A few men were at the boat end of the wooden plank, holding out their swords dangerously to keep her from running back onto the boat. The others chanted happily while shaking their arms in the air, "JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!"  
  
"Wait." Inuyasha commanded silently to Manten.  
  
"What, captain?"  
  
Before he could order everyone to stop what they were doing, the runt of the boat ran over hurriedly to where the two stood. He sighed annoyingly, "What is it, Shippou?"  
  
"Inuyasha...the sh-ship is under attack!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: Well, now everyone found out vaguely about Inuyasha and Kikyou's past. What will happen next in the next exciting chapter of "Pirate Pash"? Will Kagome still have to jump the plank? Who's attacking? Why the heck is little Shippou there? Where's Miroku and Sango? Why am I asking all these stupid questions?  
  
Don't forget to leave a review, because that would definitely be encouraging! ^_^  
  
*~Sorena~* 


	3. Come wit' Me

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone in Inuyasha.  
  
AN: I finally saw Pirates of the Caribbean! It was fantastic, and I just loved it. Oh yea, thanks tons to the reviewer who reminded me that Kagome's shirt was still ripped. Leave it up to me to forget something like that. ^_^ I apologize to my readers for the long wait...just too much going on now.  
  
Steve: Yes, I did do a research on pirates prior to writing this, just in case I wrote something terribly wrong. So when I saw the movie, it was weird how some things were the same.  
  
Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 3 - Come wit' Me  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What?" He snarled for the fifth time after hearing Shippou's announcement. "Where the hell are they right now, brat?"  
  
"They're...we've just spotted the boat coming from five o'clock, and it's a mighty large one at that." Shippou shuddered and turned to look away from the menacing glare the captain sent him. "If my estimate is correct, they should be here in around five minu - "  
  
Shippou didn't get to finish his sentence because Inuyasha had already zoomed past him to where he had specified. Meanwhile, the other pirates all ceased what they were doing to wait for their captain's announcement.  
  
And boy, was it a loud one. "EVERYONE GET READY NOW! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!!!"  
  
"What's going on?" Kagome asked from the far end of the plank, having just snapped out of, 'I'm going to have to swim' mode. It was weird, here she was about to have to jump, and the pirates had all scattered like ants the second Inuyasha shouted something barbarically loud.  
  
"Shit shit shit. We didn't have time to prepare for this...oh shit." Inuyasha wandered back onto the main side of the deck, grabbing his head in fury before replacing his head for Shippou's. "How many onboard that ship?"  
  
"Owww...it looks like around our number, captain." He slapped Inuyasha's hand off before turning to Kagome. "By the way...what'll we do with her?"  
  
"Who?" He glanced over at the woman, who was now balancing her way back onto the boat carefully, oblivious to the catastrophe of the crew. "Oh, for the love of...hey bitch!"  
  
He also noted just then that she had knotted the fabric he had torn earlier in her shirt.  
  
She ignored him, or simply didn't hear him as she skipped back onto the sturdy ship, landing gleefully. She wiped her brow with her hand in relief. "Goodness...that was so close. What's going on?"  
  
"BITCH!" Inuyasha yelled, pacing up to her and staring at her angrily. "I can't believe I'm wasting my time on you...just...go back down to the cell, and in front of the cell there's a trap door underneath that should have enough room to fit you."  
  
What was going on around here? She had to go hide somewhere now? After he tried to kill her? Well, it looked like he was making somewhat of an effort out of his busy life to help her, so she just nodded dumbly. "Okay, but...what is going on here?"  
  
Suddenly, a cannon shot blasted her eardrums so loudly Kagome had to cover her damaged ears with her hands. Shippou did the same with his ears, but Inuyasha took it like it was a mouse scampering across the floor.  
  
"What was that?" She asked once again but hollering, and Inuyasha had to hold back a strong urge to just stuff some cloth into that noisy mouth of hers.  
  
"Shut up and go." He instructed wearily, already walking away from her as he did so. "And whatever you do in that space in the floor, don't move, don't talk, and don't breathe. Let's see if you can live through this, bitch."  
  
"Will you stop calling me 'bitch'? I have a name, you know. It's Kagome." It looked like it simply went in one ear and out the other, but she chose not to argue in the heat of the situation.  
  
"Shippou, you go with her." Was Inuyasha's final demand before he ran away speedily whilst pulling out the sword at his hip.  
  
"What?!" The boy protested, "But Inuyasha...I'm a man now! I can go help fight and - "  
  
Another sound of a cannon firing tore through the air with a louder sound than the last, and Kagome noticed Shippou had disappeared.  
  
She spotted his tiny self a second later hiding behind her leg shuddering and she giggled. "Alright big man. Let's go."  
  
"What?! But I'm..." He mumbled something to himself discreetly and started walking away. "Fine! But Inuyasha's a jerk..."  
  
"You're not alone, Shippou."  
  
This so-called trapdoor in the floor was impossible to find, let alone see. Kagome hadn't even noticed anything even similar to a door the last time she was locked down here. Just remembering that horrific night brought goosebumps to her arms.  
  
"Kagome, hurry!" His little voiced hissed warningly, "The enemy will be down here ransacking the place anytime now, so we have to hide!"  
  
She knelt down on the floor quickly and began rubbing her hands over the surface of the wood, feeling for any sort of an irregular shape. "But...but I can't find it. Shippou, do you know where it is?"  
  
"I always hide in there...but I can't lift the door myself. Some other guy always comes down with me and helps me open the door. Just keep looking, Kagome!"  
  
"Okay, okay!" She continued to feel around in front of the cell door, until one of her hands ran over the tiniest glitch in the wood. "I think I feel something."  
  
"Great, now hook your finger under the bump and pull with all your might."  
  
Lifting a heavy trapdoor with a finger wasn't as easy as it looked. Kagome thought her poor index finger would snap like a stick, but luckily she pulled through and the wooden door popped open with a bang.  
  
Kagome picked herself off the floor and peered in, finding out it looked more like a box in the ground with just enough room for Shippou. She couldn't fit in there, for heaven's sake! Was Inuyasha bloody insane?  
  
"Kagome, you go in first." Shippou said bravely, "I can always jump in after you."  
  
She stepped in and noticed it was roomier than it gave the impression of. 'Good thing I haven't eaten in two days...' She thought with a sigh of relief, pretty certain she was capable of fitting into this because of her starvation and depression. 'If I didn't fit I'd probably have to hide under some hay.'  
  
Kagome managed to barely fit into the compartment, her knees mere centimetres from her chin. Uncomfortable was an understatement right then.  
  
Shippou followed in after her, landing on her stomach lightly and informing her to shut the door behind them.  
  
She did as she was told, but the second the door slammed above them; even the teensiest bit of the candlelight in the hallways was diminished into a pitch-black enclosure. Kagome whispered, "Shippou, are we going to run out of air?"  
  
"Shhhh!" He hushed, clamping his small hand over her mouth. "We won't be able to breathe if you keep talking, so be quiet."  
  
Now she finally understood what Inuyasha meant by no breathing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The two cannons fires shot earlier had fortunately both missed Inuyasha's ship, but unfortunately for him, the enemy ship had already pulled up next to their own, and the wooden plank used to connect the two boats was being lowered at that very moment.  
  
Sure, pirate attacks weren't out of the ordinary, but it wasn't like it was seen every other day. Sometimes there were even month gaps between attacks.  
  
Either way, Inuyasha himself happened to hate the bloody battles, partly because many of his crewmembers would die an ugly death. To top it off, if they managed to lose to the other side, they would conquer their ship. And Inuyasha was going to damn well make sure his ship was never taken from anyone. "Miroku! Sango!"  
  
His two acquaintances were as usual by his side, their weapons geared and ready for attack. "Yes, captain?"  
  
He glared at Miroku first. "Go help prepare the cannons. Don't let the other boat get one past you guys. If I see one hole in this ship you're dead." He smirked to show he wasn't fully serious.  
  
"Will do, captain. Be careful."  
  
"That's my line, monk." He made sure Miroku was gone first before turning to face Sango. "You go guard the entrance to the cell. Make sure nobody, and I mean NOBODY gets one foot in there."  
  
"Okay captain..." She thought it over first briefly, "But I don't see why you would care if they did manage to get in there. There's nothing of worth down there really...just a cell and some old boxes."  
  
The shouts of the other pirates meant they were already on this ship. He sighed impatiently, "Listen Sango, there's no time to explain. Just promise me you'll guard that entrance with your life."  
  
Surprised by the random kindness in her captain's tone of voice, she just nodded and ran off with her boomerang in hand, "I won't let you down, captain!"  
  
In truth, he had more than enough time to say the short three words, "Kagome's in there." But, he still had a reputation to keep and decided against it.  
  
He glanced around and saw those of his crew who weren't busy loading and firing cannons already engaging in swordfights. As was he, but his target was much different. He was going for the captain on the other ship.  
  
When a captain was murdered, normally their whole boat would choose to surrender and retreat. That was always what Inuyasha preferred to do to make everyone's life a little easier.  
  
He skipped and hopped between the battle occuring between his men and the others, swords clashing and people falling in puddles of their own blood. He grimaced when he spotted one of his men crash to the floor with a sword wedged in his chest. Good thing he never got to know him too well.  
  
Inuyasha stepped onto the edge of his boat, and with one easy lift- off he leaped an unbelievable distance onto the other ship.  
  
"It's their captain! Kill him!" Shouted a man pointing at him the second his feet touched the foreign wood. "Everyone, over here!"  
  
Without hesitating Inuyasha swung his large sword, and within seconds the loudmouth was long dead on the floor. His bloody body dropped with his index finger still pointing, only this time it was at a barrel. "Weakling, thought you could take me on? Not in a hundred years. "  
  
Just then Inuyasha noticed something terrifyingly wrong about this situation. Besides that idiot who attacked him just now, not one other person was in plain view, and that was not settling.  
  
It meant they had a plan.  
  
Growling, he glanced around and tried to identify their strategy before he was trapped in their scheme. 'I knew I should have been more careful and not just barged on here...' He cursed himself for not thinking of it earlier, but there was no point in crying over spilt milk.  
  
Only he would never cry over something as dumb as that, or anything else, rather.  
  
So he did the only thing that came to his head. "HEY ASSHOLES! Stop being such hussies and show yourselves! You call yourself men?"  
  
"Of course I don't."  
  
Where had that girly voice come from? It sounded like it came from above...Inuyasha immediately tilted his head backwards and spotted a dark- haired woman towering him, standing on the pillar above with her hands on her hips. "What the hell? You're a...bitch?"  
  
Then she did the unimaginable. She jumped from the extremely high beam she was on and neatly flipped three times in the air before landing on her tiptoes in front of him. "Hi, I'm Yura, captain of this ship. I believe you're Inuyasha?  
  
"Keh. It seems you know me. But I believe I haven't heard of you." He scoffed childishly. A female captain? That was still too much for Inuyasha to take in.  
  
She ignored him and continued to stare at him before she licked her lips. "You've got such gorgeous long hair...it would be great to brush after I remove your head." Yura ignored the disgusted look Inuyasha shot at her as she revealed a long sword from behind her.  
  
"About damn time." Inuyasha smirked and held his own large weapon in a fighting position. "I thought we would never start."  
  
"Who said I was fighting?" She smiled evilly at him, stroking her tongue lengthily over the blade. "I don't like to waste my time on scum like you. Your hair, however..."  
  
"Shut up." He commanded, "You make me sick."  
  
Yura scoffed and raised a small hand in the air. "Don't flatter yourself, Inuyasha. I know for one I'm not going to allow a shit like you to get the Shikon no Tama first. Men!"  
  
There must have been thirty men who appeared of out the dark, having already surrounded him in a circle formation. "When did you guys...?"  
  
Even someone as strong as Inuyasha couldn't easily take care of thirty tough guys, and where in the world was his own goddamn crew? Sighing, he said the only thing that came to his ignorant mind. "Keh. Bunch of hussies ruled by some weak woman."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sango remained guard in front of the door leading towards the basement, right where Inuyasha asked her to stay. She was still trying hard to decipher why Inuyasha would want her to guard a rotten-down cell.  
  
Thinking about that cell made her fingers curl into her palm until her nails dug into her skin painfully. Remembering how that woman...what was her name again? The fear and emptiness in her eyes...the coldness of her skin...it was like they were dragging the soul out of that woman with each step they took. She'd never felt worse about being a pirate.  
  
And that image was what was engraved into her mind up until even now. She'd sat on her bed after locking the prisoner away, staring off into the darkness, planning ways to release her without possibly letting Inuyasha know. But if she did escape then how could he ever not know?  
  
So she stayed in there, refusing to eat and drink, refusing to go watch the 'exciting' plank-diving of the girl the next morning.  
  
Miroku had sat next to her most of the time, convincing her that Inuyasha would most likely not make her jump, although they both knew they were kidding themselves. Inuyasha? Not making someone jump off the plank because of a change of heart? That was about as realistic as Miroku not groping her while she was mourning.  
  
So when he started rubbing her rear innocently, she slapped him routinely and sighed.  
  
That woman was as good as gone.  
  
"Hey, woman." A loud, harsh voice snapped her out of her daydream. She opened her eyes to see a pirate whom she didn't recognise, staring at her with interest. "You wanna go back to my ship with me?"  
  
Sango stared left and right before pointing to herself stupidly. "Are you talking to me?"  
  
"Yea, you. You a prisoner or somethin'? Come with me, come on." She stilled when she felt a harsh grip on her arm, tugging her away towards the enemy's ship, almost coughing when a horrible whiff of old alcohol reached her nose.  
  
She sighed and easily lifted her large boomerang until it landed on his head, knocking the living daylights out of him. Sango wiped her arm on her shirt before staring at the unconscious figure. "Unfortunately I'm not. I'm a pirate."  
  
"You're a pirate?" Another unfamiliar man turned the corner, this time with a friend. Sango had to mentally slap herself for saying something so moronic out loud. They were about to make a comment but they saw the man on the floor first. "Hey! What'd you do to him?"  
  
"Who suggested I did something to him?" She retorted quickly, "Do I look like I'm strong enough to knock out this big guy out anyway?" Being female could come in handy at times, especially with the biggest idiots you could possibly encounter in a lifetime.  
  
"Well...no..." They stared at her unbelievingly. "But you just said you were a pirate!"  
  
"Of course I was being sarcastic!"  
  
First they stared at each other, then they stared at her in confusion. "Sar-cas-what?"  
  
WHACK.  
  
She rolled her eyes and swung her boomerang incredibly hard, knocking the both of them out at the same time. Hopefully they'd never have to wake up.  
  
"I saw that." Another voice popped out of nowhere, scaring the hell out of her. "You ARE a pirate, aren't you?"  
  
"So what if I am?" She replied to the newcomer enemy, but this one appeared a little brighter than the others. Then suddenly, he reached for the boomerang in her hands and snatched it away in a terrifyingly strong pull.  
  
"This is your weapon, is it?" He flung it behind him so hard it disappeared into the clouds. "Now you're weak without it. You'll pay for knocking out my friends."  
  
Sango gasped with fright. "I...I...I..."  
  
"Any last words before you die?" He said proudly, holding a sword right against the nip of her skin at the neck.  
  
Her eyes widened as she continued to stare past him. "Behind you." She squeaked, pointing in the direction behind her.  
  
He smirked, revealing a set of disgustingly crooked yellow teeth. "I'm not falling for that one. How dumb do you think I-?"  
  
"Pretty dumb." Sango caught her retrieved weapon in one hand after it struck the back of the guy's head, sending him to the floor to join the rest of his crew. In five minutes Sango had managed to take care of four guys and have them lying at her feet. And to think Inuyasha thought she was too weak at first...  
  
She laughed to herself and accidentally bit her lip when a loud noise startled her suddenly. It came from around the corner apparently, and sounded much like a...conversation? But nobody could have been talking if they were all too busy fighting.  
  
Letting curiosity get to the worst of her, Sango kept her back to the wall as she shuffled over towards the corner. She wanted to hear this conversation, and wanted to know who it was. And not being able to see or hear it was bothering her.  
  
So when a metal rod all of a sudden swung around the corner and made hard contact with her stomach, she wheezed painfully and was out before she even reached the floor.  
  
If she had been conscious at the time, she would have heard, "Now let's go see what she's hiding in there."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome finally figured out by now that holding your breath didn't work in confined spaces, because in the end you'd still have to take in just as much air as you originally would have, if not more.  
  
Squirming, she wanted desperately to ask Shippou, who was sitting by her feet, how long it normally took for one of these fights, but her head was starting to feel a little light-headed and confused. For a second a short while back she couldn't remember who she was. And that was never a good sign.  
  
Instead of speaking, she poked him in the back because she was terribly bored, but when he didn't make any sound or gesture in return she started to panic. What if he was dead? He just had to get some air, and fast!  
  
She immediately wrapped her arm around his tiny body and shifted her own to use her feet to kick open the door. The first thing that registered in her head was the open space, and all the wonderful air that entered her nose.  
  
"Shippou? Are you alright?" She lifted him in her arms lightly and tapped his head. "Wake up."  
  
"Well lookie here'!" An unfamiliar voice rang from the doorway and Kagome froze in her tracks. "It's a mother and her lil' kid. Ain't that cute?" It was a bulky man with a grey moustache, a long sword in his hand. Kagome made note that it was already covered with blood.  
  
"Stay where you are!" She threatened uselessly, turning away to keep Shippou safer. "Don't come any closer!"  
  
He snickered and took two long steps before stopping. "And why not? Do I scare ya'?"  
  
'Very much so....' Kagome shuddered and gripped Shippou even tighter, trying to sense if this guy was cruel enough to kill a 'mother and son'. "I'm not scared of you..." She stated bravely, knowing she was probably shivering as she said this. "Just please don't hurt my baby."  
  
"Nah." He scoffed and took another two steps closer, and Kagome challenged it by taking two backwards. "I won't hurt your bebe. But YOU have to come wit' me."  
  
"What?" Kagome shouted in astonishment. That was absolutely revolting just thinking about it! She didn't want to go there! She'd stay here any day rather than go there...  
  
He cleared his throat annoyingly and repeated, "YOU woman, come wit' me. Leave the bebe, and I won't kill 'im. Do we got ourselves a deal?"  
  
"No way!" She barked almost immediately, practically passing out at the thought of leaving with him. When he showed a somewhat hurt look, she softened her tone a little as not to anger him too much. "I can't...I-I must stay with my child here...I cannot leave."  
  
"And why not?" He took another few steps closer, and Kagome found herself backing up each step he advanced. She was out of luck though, as she eventually found herself backed up against a wall.  
  
"Because I just can't!" She gulped audibly, "I-I've committed myself to this sea vessel. I cannot just leave everyone."  
  
"Well, you either come wit' me and leave the bebe," She drew in a deep breath and waited for the alternative, "OR I can kill you both right now. Your choice."  
  
"But...but I thought you said you couldn't bring yourself to kill him."  
  
He chuckled and stroked his moustache in slow strokes before staring at her in confusion. "Did I say that? Cause I don't remember."  
  
He continued to press forward towards her now, leaving Kagome cornered and scared for her life. "Get away from me! I don't want to go with you! I don't EVER want to go with you!!!"  
  
"That's not a choice, babe." He smiled mischievously. "You wanna come wit' me or you wanna die with your bebe?"  
  
"Neither!" She glanced around in a panic now, he was so far, yet so close. A few more steps and he would reach her with that sharp sword...  
  
Just then, she spotted in one of the old boxes something glittery, and metallic. Looking over, she figured it must have been something with metal. She either went for it now to risk it, or stay here to wait for this freak to gain on her. She vigilantly laid Shippou down and dove for it.  
  
And there it was, an arrow with such a sharp tip it could have been competition for the sword. And next to it laid the wooden bow.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief and turned around with it in hand, pulling it up to eye level, she pointed it at him fiercly and warned, "Don't come any closer! Or I'll...I'll fire! And I'm not joking!" She would never actually shoot him, it was simply a threat to get him to back away.  
  
"What'cha got there? A bow and arrow? You can try shooting, lady, but I'll tell you now. You wouldn't be able hit me if you tried."  
  
"And why not?" She growled, pulling the arrow back a little further to intimidate him. "Didn't I say to back off?"  
  
He didn't. Rather, he started heading towards her again. "Only experts with years of training can shoot those things properly. Give up while ya' can. Now, you wanna die or you wanna come wit' me?"  
  
He was getting so terribly close...why wasn't he backing away? "I SAID BACK OFF!" She screamed again, warm droplets starting to leak out of her eyes as she accidentally let her hand go slack. The arrow flew so incredibly fast she didn't even see it as it pierced itself right into the centre of the man's neck.  
  
"How...?" Was what he grumbled last as his body crashed to the floorboards in what seemed like slow motion to her.  
  
Hers followed shortly after, and Kagome fell to her knees in shock. She...SHE had just shot someone in the neck with an arrow. She had killed someone. Sure, it was a form of self-defence, but she had taken a life away. If that guy had children, she'd just killed their daddy. If that guy had a wife (not likely), she'd just killed her husband. She'd killed someone's son, someone's friend...and it was all her fault.  
  
Gasping for air, Kagome finally gave in to her body's demand and fell over in exhaust.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Punching the last idiot in the face, Inuyasha chuckled arrogantly and kicked his limp form out of the way. "Any more, Yura? Or are you all done with your slaves?"  
  
She glanced down from her pillar up above at Inuyasha surrounded by beaten men lying around him. He looked fairly unharmed, too, with only a few bruises here and there. And as for his stamina, he looked as if he hadn't even begun to sweat yet.  
  
"You're a monster. That was sixty men." She said under her breath before leaping down before him. "I must say you do live up to your reputation."  
  
He smirked with pride. "Of course. So you ready to surrender yet? That would probably be the best idea. I see you only have so many conscious people left."  
  
Yura smiled pleasantly. "That may be true, Inuyasha. But take a look at this." She waved her arm in the air, and in seconds a man showed up carrying a woman in his arms. "Look familiar?"  
  
That long dark hair, that outfit..."Sango!" He cursed under his breath. "Damn you, Yura! You're fighting dirty!"  
  
"It's not dirty if I win." She grinned again, and then snapped her fingers loudly. "Do it."  
  
The man wrapped his hefty hands around Sango's small neck before squeezing with only a fraction of his strength. She started gagging almost immediately, tugging at his hands the best she could but getting no results.  
  
"Stop it!" Inuyasha hollered with smoke steaming out of his ears, cracking his knuckles at the sounds of Sango's gags. "Fucking stop it right now or I'll kill you first!!!"  
  
Yura snapped her fingers again, and the man stopped applying pressure to her neck, allowing Sango to cough madly for air. When she managed to get enough, she screamed, "I'm okay!!! Just kill her, Inuyasha!"  
  
"Shut up, girl." Yura barked annoyingly before snapping her fingers once again for the torment to begin. "It was much nicer when you weren't spea-"  
  
She didn't get the chance to finish as Inuyasha lunged at her all of a sudden and tried to slash her, but missed as she smartly rolled to the side. "Feisty, aren't we?"  
  
"Don't fucking speak!" He cursed with frustration, his ears not able to take much more of Sango's wheezes.  
  
She snapped twice this time, and Inuyasha could see that man's hands squeeze even harder. Yura giggled, "Don't tell me what to do, kid. Remember, your little friend's life is in my hands. If you try that one again I'll have him crush her neck."  
  
He sighed and hesitantly made fists at his sides. What he would give to kill her right then..."What do you want, bitch?"  
  
"Let me see here, okay. First, you'll have to surrender. Then, you'll have to give up your ship. And then you and your crew can go frolic into the ocean. But at least this girl here lives."  
  
"Not bloody likely if we're in the ocean!" He stared at the man again with hate filling his gaze. "Let fucking go of her, asshole."  
  
Yura shook her head. "Not yet. Just hold her there, but don't squeeze. Inuyasha, so do we have a deal?"  
  
He couldn't just leave Sango here to die, but if he gave up everything more people would die, maybe including Sango too. And so would that bitch...was she still alive? And that runt?  
  
Sango continued screaming from behind the man's hand, and he couldn't tell if she was yelling, "Don't!" or "Help me!" But based on what she said earlier, it was probably the first one. Yet, he couldn't do it. He just couldn't give either up.  
  
"Well, hurry up! I have a busy calendar, you know."  
  
He muttered quietly. "I...I choose to..."  
  
"Can't hear you!"  
  
"DON'T DO IT! Inuyasha!" He heard someone scream suddenly out of nowhere. "If you surrender I'll never, ever forgive you!"  
  
Yura snapped her head around to identify the VERY annoying intruder. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Me? Let's just say I'm Sango's wonderful guardian angel." The man replied heartily, a huge smile on his face as he sped towards Sango. "The name's Miroku."  
  
"Miroku..." Inuyasha watched as he knocked the other man out with his staff so quickly even Yura didn't have a chance to respond. Sango was safely in his arms within seconds. "You..."  
  
"What are you stalling for, Inuyasha? Sango's safe! Get her!"  
  
Yura was standing off on the side now, her face no longer filled with joy. She turned to face Miroku with a humongous scowl on her face, "YOU! How dare you interrupt me and Inuyasha?!"  
  
"Didn't I say to shut the hell up?" Inuyasha screamed, racing up to her at lightning speed and embedding his trusted sword right through her chest.  
  
"You..." Yura tumbled to the floor, her mouth dripping with blood as she started coughing insanely. Inuyasha spitefully slipped out his sword as her eyes went glassy.  
  
"Even that was a little crude, Inuyasha. You shouldn't kill women." Miroku said half-heartedly, already skipping back onto the other boat with Sango in his arms, one hand innocently placed on her rear.  
  
"Keh. Whatever. She tried to kill me and Sango, so why the hell can't I kill her?" Inuyasha stopped as he leaped back onto his own ship, making careful note to step over the dead bodies. "Wait...didn't I tell you to go load cannons? What were you doing over there?"  
  
Miroku smirked. "I just figured you might need a little help, since most of our men were over here. And you did."  
  
Damn the monk and his knowledge. "Listen, Miroku. Don't expect a thanks from me or anything, I'm still angry you interrupted MY fight."  
  
"Never expected one, captain."  
  
"Good." Just then, Sango started stirring as her eyes opened wincingly. "Sango, you awake?"  
  
She blinked once. Then twice. Then she sat up with her eyes bulged open. "Shit! Inuyasha...I'm-I'm sorry I failed! I was knocked out...and I didn't protect the room like you asked me to, and...Inuyasha?"  
  
He was gone just like that.  
  
"Kagome? Shippou?" Inuyasha turned the corner in a rage, hoping they were still in the underground compartment. If he saw them dead...running in the room, for a second he believed that was the problem.  
  
They were both lying down on the floor huddled in the corner, and a man was lying near them with an arrow in his throat. Just what had happened in here?  
  
Pacing up to Kagome, he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised both her and the runt were alive, but just passed out. "Kagome! Shippou! Wake up!"  
  
She batted her eyelashes, and finally managed to get her eyes open with a squint. "In...Inuyasha?"  
  
Oh no. She was looking at him and smiling. Why was his heart beating so damn fast? And why in the world was he so fucking worried about her? "Keh. Yea, bitch. What happened in here? Why didn't you stay in the box?!" He yelled loudly, trying to scare her into not smiling at him anymore.  
  
But it didn't work. She continued smiling, even until her eyes snapped shut. She whispered as she started to doze off. "This...this is the first time you used my name..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: My, that was a long chapter. Hope it made up for the long wait. Hopefully the next chapter should be up soon. ^_^ Thanks tons to my reviewers!  
  
*~Sorena~* 


	4. Caught

Disclaimer: Sigh...I thought I made this clear already.  
  
AN: Oh my lord...you know how my kitty was gone for three months? He just came back yesterday, fatter than ever. I wonder who's been secretly feeding him...but just an hour ago he ran outside again. Darn.  
  
Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 4 - Caught  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So..." The silence hung in the air awkwardly. "What exactly do you think happened in there?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You know exactly what I mean...when we followed him into the room he was all panicky and stuff...like he already knew they were in there."  
  
"Well, maybe that's why he asked you to guard the room in the first place, Sango. Because he was hiding them, seems to make sense."  
  
"You think so? I mean, we were just - Ahhhh! Miroku, you pervert!!! Do you have to do that when we're having a serious conversation?!!" She dug her nails into his roaming hand to accent her point.  
  
"Ow...but Sango, seriously, I had no idea." Miroku grinned, his eyebrows arching dangerously. "If there is a better time for this sort of thing don't hesitate to..."  
  
Kagome stirred in bed at the suddenness of a loud slap in the air, and began rolling and tossing in bed. Oh, how she wished she could have just sat up and discovered she was in her bright and cheery room, right next to Souta's. She'd get up at the crack of dawn and prepare breakfast for both of them before she'd get to work on her garden...  
  
What she got instead was Miroku's smiley face mere centimetres from hers, his cheek imprinted with a bright red hand mark. "Mornin' sunshine."  
  
"Fu-cra-shi-you-er!" Kagome leaped from the bed in shock, nearly colliding her head into his. He managed to scoot back before that happened. "What was that for? You scared me half to death!"  
  
He backed away slightly, the annoying smile still on his lips. "Just admiring your beauty, Miss Kagome."  
  
Sango shot him a dangerous look from her seat, her arms crossed furiously. She growled. "Miroku, don't put your face so close to the girl...you don't want her to pass out again, do you?"  
  
"Very charming, Sango. But - "  
  
Kagome coughed loudly, inconveniently cutting off his comeback. "You...you two?"  
  
Sango's eyes brightened as she clapped her hands together. "Oh, how rude of us! I'm Sango, and this lech here is Miroku. We've met before, remember?"  
  
"What do you want with me?" She scowled all of a sudden, as if remembering a terrible memory, slowly edging away from the two as she did so. "Listen, I don't want to talk to you guys. You're pirates." She spat it out like it was a disease rotting her tongue off.  
  
If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed the small pang of hurt that flashed in their eyes. But she was too busy reaching for a pillow nearby and bringing it in front of her, just in case she needed to defend herself; before realising it belonged to a pirate and threw it into a wall in disgust. She stared back at the two. "Well, what do you guys want with me?"  
  
"Kagome, what makes you think we want anything? Isn't it alright for us to talk to you?" Sango asked quietly, "You know, we're not all as bad as you make us out to be."  
  
"Don't call me by my name! We are not associated in any way or form." Kagome snapped. "If I'm caught alongside you guys I could get hanged, you know that? You know that if you're caught you'll be hanged?"  
  
"Miss Kagome, we are probably far more aware of that than you. But we all have our reasons for doing this. You should not simply judge us by our cover." Miroku explained tiredly and glanced over at Sango, both wondering the same thing: What had happened to this girl?  
  
The girl glared at him. "I do not do such a thing, but pirates are an exception. They destroy villages, kill people, and sink boats, what do you expect me to think of you?"  
  
Miroku and Sango remained silent. This girl obviously detested pirates more than they had thought she had. She didn't seem that way earlier though...that was probably because Inuyasha was around. And no one put pirates down when he was around...  
  
She rubbed her eyes in annoyance; all the while not able to help but notice something was oddly different... "What room is this?" She asked. "I didn't know the boat could even have a room this big." She took a quick glance around and at the bed she was currently residing in. "It's much spacier. Is this the captain's room?"  
  
"No. We just took over the enemy's boat. Our old one was too crappy because some idiot shot a cannon into our ship at the last moment and sunk it. We had only a minute or so to grab all our stuff and get onto this one. Nice, huh?"  
  
Kagome paused to think this over, not even realising she was chatting with the people she hated the most in this world. "Wait...this all happened when I was unconscious?"  
  
Sango nodded slowly. "Yep, after we found you and Shippou, some maniac on the other boat tried to shoot us down, but Inuyasha took care of him."  
  
She bit her lip as she tried to remember the small detail. "Wait...Shi-Shippou...the little boy, is he alright? What happened to the enemy? Where are we?"  
  
"Whoa, slow down. Shippou's fine." Sango assured her calmly and handed her a mug of some steaming brown liquid.  
  
She took it with caution and gave it a tiny sniff. She normally would not have taken anything some pirate gave her, but her stomach was about it eat itself up any second now. She hadn't been fed since...well, since before leaving the island for the medicine. Deciding it smelt pretty safe, Kagome took a tiny sip. It was the most magnificent thing she had ever tasted. "What's...?"  
  
"Hot water with chocolate powder. Also called 'hot chocolate', in case you didn't know." Sango said sarcastically, but shut her mouth when Kagome meekly lowered her head. "You...you really don't know what it is?"  
  
"No. We never got stuff like this...all the money I got went towards my brother's medicine and sometimes our food." Kagome used this opportunity to gulp down more of her drink. Why she was telling this to them, she didn't have a clue. She sure as hell didn't trust them...but she'd never really had friends before...or anyone at all to talk to...  
  
"That must suck." Miroku chided in, bored of only listening and not joining in on this conversation. "You must really love your brother then, huh?"  
  
He winced painfully when Sango stomped his foot under a table where the now depressed Kagome couldn't see. She shot him a terrifying glance, the: I'll-kill-you-later-when-we're-alone look and turned back to the girl with a kind smile. "By the way, how did you take care of that brute?"  
  
"Oh...him." Kagome tapped the cup nervously in her hands. "I shot him with the bow and arrow I found, but I didn't do it on purpose, I swear! I feel awful about it, because it was an accident...and I - "  
  
Kagome soon found Miroku sniggering behind his hand and Sango bursting into a fit of giggles.  
  
"What exactly is so funny about me killing someone? It was horrible!"  
  
"We're not laughing because you killed him, we're laughing because you feel bad about it!" Sango couldn't contain herself anymore and ended up tossing her head back in laughter.  
  
"Miss..." Miroku chided in, laughing equally as hard as Sango. "What kind of a ship do you think you're on?"  
  
She huffed out her chest angrily, "I know perfectly well I'm on a pirate ship! What does this have to do with anything? And can you two please stop laughing at me?"  
  
Sango finally quieted down until she was just breathing heavily. "Listen. You must understand one thing before you can carry on around here. Lives...especially the ones of enemies, aren't taken seriously when you're a pirate. We've lost probably a hundred of our men up until today and no one cries about it. If we mourned so much about every death we'd probably never stop crying."  
  
Miroku nodded at Sango's explanation. "And that's why we were laughing at you when you felt bad about killing the enemy."  
  
"That's sick!" Kagome said suddenly, "So if one of your friends just died the next day you wouldn't even feel bad about it?" She mumbled under her breath. "Well, this is typical pirate behaviour..."  
  
Sango shook her head. "That isn't it. We'd feel sad, of course, if they were our friends. But crying about it won't do anything but make us feel worse about it. After all, we all die someday..."  
  
What they were saying was true, she knew, but it was still difficult for her to understand the way their mind worked. When her parents died...she couldn't even remember how much she had cried, and cried, and cried. It was a sob fest for probably half a year before it finally sank in.  
  
Maybe that was why she took death so seriously.  
  
She lowered her head softly before snapping it up all of a sudden. "Wait...but if our old ship sunk, and there's no enemies on this ship, what did you do with all the people?"  
  
"Oh! Them. We just chucked all the bodies in the water. We made sure they were all dead before we threw them in, don't want anyone hanging onto this boat!" Miroku said that so cheerfully it actually sent an eerie chill up her spine.  
  
Sango spotted the worried look on her face. "Don't look so scared. Think about it this way. If we had been the ones who had lost the fight, we would be swimming at the bottom of the ocean right now. It's a live or die situation here."  
  
"I suppose...but then, what's going to happen to me?" She pointed a finger at herself. "Wasn't I going to jump...the plank?"  
  
Instantaneously both heads turned away from her. "Well, we're hoping the crew doesn't mind you staying.........they think women are bad luck aboard the ship."  
  
Kagome stared at Sango with a weird look on her face, "But you........."  
  
Sango stared her straight in the eye. "I'm a man."  
  
Kagome's face paled a thousand colours. "What? You...you're a man?!!! But - "  
  
Suddenly, Miroku's snorting could be heard next to her. Kagome looked over to see him holding his stomach in laughter. She stared back at the older girl evilly.  
  
"Ha...I'm just kidding, I'm 100% woman, but I'm kind of an exception. My father was a pretty well known pirate on this ship.........as was my little brother when he turned fourteen. I was dragged along onto this ship as a cook, since these idiots can't recognise a turnip from a pineapple. At first they opposed of me, but when we got attacked I managed to kill a few of the enemies. Inuyasha finally let me join the crew, but a lot of assholes here still make comments every once in a while."  
  
Kagome smirked quietly at Sango's choice of language. Like her they both liked to swear, as inappropriate as it was for women to do so.  
  
Sango looked her dead in the eyes, her expression never changing. "But they died. They got killed in one of our battles."  
  
Well, that was completely unexpected. "Oh...I'm sorry..."  
  
"Don't be." She replied with a forced grin. "Remember what we told you?"  
  
Kagome nodded again before turning to face them with a bothered look on her face. "But one thing I still don't understand. Why are you guys being so nice to me? If this is a sick ploy of some sort, I'm one step ahead of you."  
  
"Keh. Idiot. How long does it take for you to figure out that someone's not making shit up?" The rude voice barked loudly, and all three of them turned to stare at an amused Inuyasha standing in the doorway.  
  
"You!" Kagome growled, already scrambling to her feet as she stared at the captain. "You...you jerk! YOU ASSHOLE!!!"  
  
Now what was this girl's problem? "Oi! What the hell did I do?"  
  
She shook her head irritably as she gnawed her lower lip. "You...what was the big idea, making me and Shippo go into that stupid box in the floor? With no air?!!!"  
  
What was this girl on? "Wha-? What the hell do you mean MAKING you go into that damn box? I was saving your sorry ass, you ungrateful bitch!"  
  
She challenged him to a staring contest as she spat, "And going into a hole in the ground with NO AIR is saving me how?"  
  
The other two pirates had to stifle back their laughter behind their hands. Never, ever had they seen Inuyasha act so calmly with anybody! If someone in the crew even dared disobeyed him, it was 'throw the moron into the sea' time. But oddly enough, Inuyasha wasn't doing anything of the sort, and he seemed to be holding back a...grin?  
  
He struggled for an answer for a while, but gave up by throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "W...Why the hell do I have to answer YOU? Or even talk to you? You should be fucking thanking me right now for not throwing you right into the water, where you belong."  
  
"Oh!" She raised her hand to her mouth. "I completely forgot! Thank you so much, oh most wonderful pirate." She mocked with too much icing in her voice. "How shall I ever repay your kindness, captain?"  
  
Inuyasha 'keh'ed' arrogantly before whirling to face the door he came from. "Well, you could cut that tone of voice, clean all the rooms aboard, and mop all the floors." He chuckled in satisfaction before he paused halfway. "Oh yea, and you can make the dinners too. Sango's food is starting to taste like crap."  
  
Kagome paid no attention to the "What?" arising from the girl next to her, but instead ran up to Inuyasha to snatch his shoulder in an attempt to stop him from leaving. She wasn't about to become a hous...shipmaid! She had her brother to go find! "Wait, I'm not finished!"  
  
The whole room stilled in what happened in the next two seconds. Inuyasha spun around to face the unprepared Kagome with a huge frown, his hands already forced into a tight fist. How dared this girl touch him! No one touched him except... "I said not to touch me you little...bitch!!!" His dark voice boomed as he swung his arm reflexively, but he was suddenly halted when he picked up her reaction.  
  
She was trembling lightly and her knuckles were pale. Her teeth were jammed barred together dead tight, and her whole body was well prepared for the hit that was about to send her half-dead to the floor.  
  
"Inuyasha! Stop!" Sango shouted suddenly, already in fighting position to defend Kagome if worse came to worse. Miroku was ready right there next to her. He cooed Inuyasha quietly as he slowly walked up to him. "Captain, please stop. She doesn't know anything."  
  
"I already told her!" He retorted harshly, steam practically rising out of his ears. "I already fucking told her not to touch me when she was in the fucking cell! But does she listen?"  
  
"Inuyasha, please. It's common courtesy not to curse in front of women."  
  
He scowled menacingly. "Me, curse? These two probably swear twice as much as me!"  
  
Miroku sighed at the truthfulness in that. "Come on, Inuyasha. We're not children, let's not make this into a competition."  
  
A quiet sniff suddenly became apparent in the air. They all turned to face Kagome, who was now crouched on the floor sniffling into her hands.  
  
"Oh, for Christ's sake. Stop crying." He instructed coldly, but when she didn't and rather continued to cry a river into her hands, he sighed, "Oi! I said to stop crying already! This is why women are such a pain..."  
  
He was being such a pompous jerk! Kagome looked up from her hands all of a sudden, her eyes puffy and swollen from the tears. "I'm not crying because of you! I'm crying because I miss my brother! What's it to you?" She snapped and went back to her sobbing.  
  
Sometimes he could not understand women. "You know...crying doesn't solve a thing."  
  
"Wh-why are you being so heartless?" She cried breathlessly, her eyelashes soaked with tears. "Why won't you let me go home? My brother's going to die and I need to see him!"  
  
"Well, I can't do anything about that." He replied grimly. "You're a prisoner here, and you should be thanking your stars right now you aren't dead! The dinners aren't going to cook themselves, you know."  
  
"I'd rather die!!!" She screeched, racing back to the bed to duck under the covers. Why was he being so annoyingly stubborn now? She thought he was kind of friendly before...so much for that thought.  
  
"Go right on ahead. No one's stopping you." He stopped to rethink. "Actually, the whole crew is dying to see you jump the plank right now. So you can either choose to commit suicide, or a smarter choice would be to cook and clean."  
  
Kagome stilled where she lay.  
  
"Inuyasha, that's a bit cruel, don't you think? Sentencing her to a life of cleaning?" Miroku interrupted innocently, "After all, she DID manage to kill one of Yura's men. Doesn't that at least make her one of our acquaintances?"  
  
"Oh? She was the one who killed that bastard?" He looked fairly surprised. Kagome peeked from under the blanket to check for his reaction. "Well, normally it would classify her as one of our fighters, but I doubt she could do it again. Anyhow, it's a good punishment from earlier."  
  
"I-I HATE YOU!" Kagome screamed, her voice unclear but still recognisable under the sheets.  
  
"That's too bad, Kagome dear, because I rather like you right now." He grinned again before leaping out the door.  
  
Once he had disappeared, she grumbled something rude under her breath and plopped back down onto the bed. "He's such a jerk...how do you guys stand him?"  
  
Sango sighed warily. "You shouldn't be so angry with him...he's quite a nice person at heart. It's just...it's just Inuyasha has an image to live up to, you know? Me, Miroku and Shippo are probably the only ones who knows he has that side."  
  
Kagome watched in disbelief. Inuyasha? Nice? Every time she even thought he was being nice, there was always a backlash. "...I don't believe it."  
  
"Well, he WAS the one who carried you over here from our old boat when you were unconscious. I offered to do it, but he told me to screw off. That must mean something." Miroku added smartly.  
  
"HE carried me over here? But...but why would he do that? He could've just left me there for all he cared."  
  
Miroku shrugged. "You see? There's Inuyasha's nice side again. He would never leave a girl on a sinking ship."  
  
"Except Yura." Sango said with a smile.  
  
"Oh...that reminds me." Kagome wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Who's Keekio? Inuyasha keeps referring her to me..."  
  
No answer.  
  
Kagome repeated, "I said, who's Keekio?"  
  
"Hm? Were you saying something?" Miroku suddenly looked up from the interesting speck on the floor. "I believe I didn't hear you."  
  
"I asked you guys who Keekio was! Sango, do you know?"  
  
Sango turned to her with wide eyes. "What? Oh, no! No...I don't know who that is. Why do you want to know?"  
  
She fiddled with her thumbs. "Well...on the first night I came here Inuyasha freaked out, calling me this 'Keekio' girl. I had to prove to him I wasn't her. I need to know who she is and how she was related to him."  
  
Miroku raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously. "And HOW did you prove that to him?"  
  
Sango frowned and bonked him on the head. They knew who she was, all right. But Inuyasha would seriously slaughter them both if he knew they told her. "Anyways, Kagome, we don't know who she is. But maybe you should ask Inuyasha when you get to know him better."  
  
"Get to know him better?!" Kagome scoffed. "I'd rather make friends with a diseased pig."  
  
"Sounds about right." Miroku lowered his head and rubbed at the bump that formed on the top of his head.  
  
"Well," Sango stood up and signalled for Miroku to do the same. "We should get going, we have to go talk to Inuyasha about something. Kagome, why don't you go...um...go find Shippou? He'll show you around."  
  
"Wait! Don't go!" She shouted loudly, surprising the two of them. "But, but the people on this ship don't like me..."  
  
"Do you like THEM?" Miroku retorted as he made his way towards the door, Sango trailing shortly after him.  
  
Kagome spewed, "Ugh, of course not. I especially hate that bald guy."  
  
"Then I don't see a problem." Miroku added smugly and smiled before walking out the door. Sango nodded kindly before disappearing out the doorway with him.  
  
Now what was she supposed to do? She could go find Shippou, she didn't mind him at all. Rather, he was the only one on this ship she trusted, probably because he was just a kid.  
  
But inside she still felt a little angry with herself for letting herself get along so well with pirates. They were usually snarling faced men, with only awful thoughts, but for sure she couldn't sense those vibes coming from Sango or Miroku, and they really didn't seem like too bad of people...  
  
So what was she going to do now? For a split second Kagome considered escaping, but annoyingly enough Inuyasha always seemed to know exactly where she was headed off. 'If I try to run again I'll definitely be caught. I'll wait until they trust me a bit more and then I'll sneak away.'  
  
She smirked at her own brilliant idea and jumped out of bed. She checked her face in a mirror nearby first to make sure her face didn't look like she had just sobbed her eyes out. It looked pretty good.  
  
Now, to go find Shippou...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey, brat! Pass me that um...thingy... uh...compass!"  
  
The boy sighed for the umpteenth time that afternoon. "Do your dirty work yourself. And do you even know how to work one?"  
  
After they had transferred to this ship Inuyasha had been shouting demands at him even more constantly. And that was enough to send anyone over the edge.  
  
Being a navigator at such a young age should've been something to be proud of, but with a captain like that running around yelling at him twenty-four seven was enough to make anyone feel unimportant.  
  
He glared over again at the man next to him. Pathetic.  
  
Every two weeks or so there was a new assistant sent in to help him with the navigations; since there was no way in the world he could do everything himself. But annoyingly enough, no one has been able to live up to the job, complaining that it was too much work. The truth was that the word 'math' wasn't even in their vocabulary.  
  
"Hey you!" Shippou looked at the guy with disgust and threw a folded pamphlet at him. "Can you find me that island on the map under D3 and find us a route to get onto the island?"  
  
Knock. Knock. Knock.  
  
Probably Inuyasha coming in to shout at him again. "We haven't found anything yet! Jeez! You were gone for about five minutes!"  
  
"Um...sorry, is this a bad time?" Oddly enough it wasn't Inuyasha, most likely because this voice belonged to a girl. There was Sango on this ship and whatsherface, Kagome. Considering Sango would've just barged right in by now, so...  
  
"Kagome! Come in!" Shippou called to the closed door.  
  
The door creaked open slowly, and a head swung in through the crack. This room had been impossible to find because the two idiots hadn't told her where he was. All the while trying to find him men standing around on deck were either scowling at her, or making suggestive hand gestures.  
  
Kagome looked around the plain room, filled with only a large desk with a bunch of items on it. She smiled sweetly at him. "Hi Shippou, are you okay?"  
  
"Wow!" The assistant had stopped flipping the map this way and that, and turned to face the stranger beauty standing at the door. He hadn't seen women other than Sango for about a year! Let alone this one was a beaut! So the rumours aboard were true...  
  
"Um...and you are?" Kagome asked politely.  
  
The boy's face reddened as he avoided eye contact. "My name's Hojo. I'm the main navigator for this ship."  
  
Shippou whacked him over the head with a cup. "Idiot. I'M the navigator, and this is your first day of assisting me! Stop sucking up to Kagome and get down to work!"  
  
Kagome smirked. Shippou was a lot bossier than he first seemed. "Shippou, I just came to ask you if you were okay."  
  
"I'm fine. What about you? I've heard some stories."  
  
What kind of stories had he heard? "Oh...that's not important." Kagome suddenly took a lot of interest to all the equipment. "Say, is there a destination for this ship?"  
  
Hojo turned from his work and smiled happily at her. "Of course, ma'am. All this time we've been trying to find - "  
  
The poor guy was cut off when Shippou bashed his face in with the heavy gold compass. "We've been trying to find...a - um...town."  
  
"What town?" She asked. Were they going to trash another village?  
  
"You wouldn't know it." Shippou quickly retorted. "But forget that. How are you liking this new ship?"  
  
He was changing the subject, as if it weren't obvious enough. Hojo had said all this time they've been trying to find something. She needed to fill in the blank. "The boat's nice. A lot bigger than the old one."  
  
"Hm." Shippou wasn't even listening to her anymore.  
  
"Well, Shippou, what do I do now? The captain said I had to cook or something..." She had decided to become the cook for the time being, since cooking was probably a hundred times easier than cleaning up after a huge group of slobs. And she didn't mind it that much. She'd always cooked for Souta...and he'd loved her cooking.  
  
"You're cooking now?!!" Shippou instantaneously turned to face her with a huge grin on his face. "Thank god. Sango's food was getting disgustingly repetitive. Go find her. She'll show you to the kitchen. "  
  
"But she just sent me here. Her and Miroku went to talk to Inuyasha."  
  
"Oh? Well, then. I'm busy, so..." Shippou stared at the nincompoop next to him still trying to decipher the alphabet. "Hojo! You take Kagome to the kitchen! And you'd better come back!"  
  
"Huh?" The guy turned to his tiny boss, finally processing what he had said through his head. "Yes sir! I will be back after I show this lady to the kitchens! Yes sir I will!"  
  
"Just get going already..." Shippou grumbled and turned back to his work impatiently. The jewel wasn't about to find itself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So, Kagome." Hojo asked the girl as they made their way through the hallway. "How are you liking it here?"  
  
"I hate it."  
  
"Oh...well, how do you like Sango's food? It's not that bad, actually, it just gets sickening after a long period of time." He grinned.  
  
"I haven't been fed yet."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Um...Hojo, was it?" She all of a sudden stopped walking and turned back to face him. "Can you tell me where the captain's room is?"  
  
"Well...sure. But may I ask why?"  
  
Kagome whispered in his ear. "I have to go talk to Sango, about girly things."  
  
His face reddened and he nodded dumbly. "Down the hallway, and upstairs to your right. The largest set of doors."  
  
The woman had sped away before he could finish.  
  
Kagome watched her step as she jumped the stairs two at a time. She didn't want to know where the damn kitchen was...she wanted to know what Sango and Miroku had to discuss with Inuyasha.  
  
She stopped running when she paused outside the large doors Hojo had described. There was some faint chatting going on inside, so Kagome stuck her ear to the door and listened.  
  
"But Inuyasha! You can't do that!" She heard Sango demanding.  
  
Inuyasha can't do what? Shoot, if only she came earlier to eavesdrop.  
  
"Shut up, Sango. I don't need you guys lecturing me. I've got enough problems right now as it is."  
  
She heard Miroku coughing. "Inuyasha, is it THAT hard to drop her off at some nearby town without actually bringing the ship to dock?"  
  
"You're a moron, Miroku. Do you think that girl won't go telling every soul in that town where she'd been? The navy will be after us in a second."  
  
"That may be true, but I don't think she'd do something like that."  
  
Inuyasha growled. "What? So you guys know each other that well already? If I remember correctly she was the one freaking out about being near us."  
  
"But we can't blame her for that! Any normal person would freak out if they knew they could be hanged for just being around us!" Sango replied harshly. "And the crew aren't ecstatic about having her around either! It would be best if we just let her go."  
  
"Best?! You're letting me down Sango. I thought you'd be smarter than that." Inuyasha snorted. "You DO realise that if I did let her go safely, that the crew would think I'm a fucking wuss?"  
  
"And you're not...?"  
  
"Miroku, shut the fuck up. Don't think I can't threaten you just because I know you better than the rest of them."  
  
"Woah. Inuyasha, calm down. We're just asking of you to let her go...you should know that her brother is very sick." Sango pleaded.  
  
"How many fucking times must I hear that? I'm the gaddamn captain of this ship, and I don't give a fuck about her stupid brother! Does it look like I have no problems of my own?"  
  
"Well, not a lot. You're trying to find that stupid treasure. And that's about it." Sango added again.  
  
What treasure were they talking about? Kagome pressed her ear closer to the door to hear more clearly.  
  
"I also have to please my crew, take care of damn enemies, keep us from being hanged, and deal with assholes like you two! So now you want me to worry about some bitch and her sick brother?! I don't give a rats ass about them."  
  
"So I'm assuming letting her go is out of the question."  
  
"I'm making her the damn maid, is that not enough? Normally prisoners are killed immediately, and she's still walking around here. I'm starting to consider getting rid of her so you two stop acting so fucking weird!" The captain yelled hoarsely.  
  
"But captain, she's so innocent. She doesn't deserve this lifestyle at all...and what are you grinning about?"  
  
"She's not innocent enough to learn not to eavesdrop, apparently. Hey bitch! Come in here for a second!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: Well, that chapter was slow. Lots of interesting stuff should begin soon. So stay tuned!  
  
*~Sorena~* 


	5. Intoxicated

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my slow updating habits, unfortunately.  
  
AN: This has to be a new record for me. Two months. I'm so sorry, everyone. But to make up for it, I will try as hard as possible to release another chapter before school starts again. ^_^  
  
Well, look on the bright side. At least the last chapter wasn't TOO bad a cliffhanger... I hope.  
  
Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 5 - Intoxicated  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome practically bit her tongue off when his loud voice boomed from inside the room. How could he have possibly heard her? She couldn't even hear herself...  
  
"Inuyasha? What are you talking about? Kagome went to see Shippou, and she wouldn't know where your room is." She heard Miroku say. "Or would she?"  
  
Sighing in defeat, Kagome creaked open the heavy door and stepped in, letting the door slam shut itself. Annoyingly enough, Inuyasha was sitting there with his arms crossed over his chest, his face flashing a satisfied smirk.  
  
Sango jumped up from her seat. "Kagome?! What in the world are you doing?"  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything! I just happened to walk by and accidentally heard what you guys said... it was an accident, I swear!"  
  
The captain rolled his eyes. "I didn't know eavesdropping for a few minutes was considered an accident."  
  
Miroku glanced at the girl suspiciously. "Um...Kagome, just how much did you hear?"  
  
"Well...nothing, really....something about letting me go..." She fiddled with her fingers nervously.  
  
They all breathed a sigh of relief - but not Inuyasha. He glared at her with a look that could kill. "Don't lie. You heard about the treasure, didn't you?"  
  
"Treasure?" She asked and stared innocently at the floor. "What are you talking about? There's treasure? I didn't know there was a treasure, are you crazy?" It was kind of true in a sense; she didn't know what this supposed 'treasure' was.  
  
He was about to question her further, but finally decided against it. She was too dense and helpless to do anything about it anyway. He turned his head away. "Forget it. Go drown yourself or something."  
  
"I would, but you're already doing that for me." She replied and turned to leave, but stopped halfway. "Oh yea, I had to tell you I agree to cook for the crew, happy?"  
  
"You'll cook?" Miroku commented cheerfully. "That's great news, right Sango?"  
  
"Huh? Sure...good luck, Kagome." She smiled weakly. Was her cooking really that horrible? That would probably explain why all the guys always sat by the edge of the boat when they ate, and why the food always seemed to disappear when she turned her back.  
  
"I hope you realise you're not just cooking for us." Inuyasha added ungratefully. "You're to clean this boat everyday too."  
  
"What?" She couldn't help but stomp her foot on the wooden floor like an angry child. "No way. I don't want to clean up after all those slobs! Isn't cooking enough?"  
  
"You're doing both. And that's final." He stared her in the eye. "If you don't do it, no one will. And I will not allow my ship to become a grease pit. Do you understand?"  
  
She grit her teeth together angrily, exactly who was he to tell her what she could or could not do? "You can't make me do anything! First I'm kidnapped, then forced through a fight, and then harassed by you over and over again! I can't take much more of this!!!"  
  
"You'd better damn well learn to take it!" He growled back. "Or I will personally go find..." He paused. "Your brother and slaughter him myself!" A stupid threat, but this girl was already driving him near the brink of insanity.  
  
Kagome looked as if something had sucked her spirit dry. That comment about her brother must have really gotten to her... Inuyasha cleared his throat. "So now will you listen to me more?"  
  
No answer.  
  
He stared harder only to find her small shoulders beginning to shake with each inaudible sob, and Inuyasha could not help but roll his eyes with an annoyed sigh. "Crying again?"  
  
Sango could not take much more of him harassing the girl. "Inuyasha, please..."  
  
He immediately snapped. "I just want to get it through her thick skull that if she doesn't fucking obey me once in a while, it will only hurt her!"  
  
He turned to the weeping girl again, his expression unchanging. After seeing countless women crying like the wimps that they were, he had become quite immune to a woman's tears...but whenever this stupid Kikyou look-alike cried, a nagging voice always overtook him. "Oh for...leave if you're going to cry."  
  
He wasn't usually that much of a jerk; he just had an extremely short temper, is all. But the fact that this woman was becoming more and more unlike Kikyou every second he was near her... that was really getting on his nerves.  
  
Kikyou never cried, no matter how miserable she was, and that alone made her stronger than this girl here.  
  
Looking up, he expected Kagome to break out into the usual violent sobbing and screaming, but instead he watched bitterly as she gnawed on her lower lip, a single droplet sliding past her reddened cheeks, and her eyes shaded by her dark bangs. "..."  
  
"What?" He said flatly.  
  
"I said I'll do it..." She mumbled, her eyes still hidden from view. "If you enjoy torturing me that much I'll clean your goddamn boat."  
  
Well, that was a surprise. "...Good. I'm glad you understand." He said back, pleased. He easily ignored the evil looks his two assistants shot his way.  
  
Her body remained eerily still. "I - I'll be leaving now."  
  
"Wait, Kagome! I'll go with you!" Sango stood up and ran after her, assisting the girl out the doors. She made sure to shoot another menacing glare at her captain before slamming the door behind her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What a sick sonofa - " Kagome shoved another piece of honey cake into her mouth, chomping like a cow on purpose. "Tinks es gawd kpas es he's te damn capan!"  
  
They were in Sango's small wooden room, and Kagome was sitting on the top bunk sulking with a tray of cake while Sango was on the bottom bed. Although the room was quite tiny, it was surprisingly cozy, with a few dim lamps around them and a dresser nearby.  
  
"You'll get over it." Sango smirked and lifted her legs in the air to kick the top of Kagome's bunk. "He likes to take his bitterness out on anyone he can grab a hold of. And right now his target is you."  
  
"I suppose..." She sighed and Sango could hear her roll over. "But you don't think he'll actually go after my brother?"  
  
"Nah. He doesn't have time for that anyways. Just a stupid threat."  
  
"You know, I swore I never hated anyone that much when he said that." She whispered into the air. "Man, if I was born taller than him with big muscles I would have kicked his ass for even suggesting that."  
  
Sango chuckled at an image of the muscular girl beating up Inuyasha. "Maybe so. But a few of the crew have muscles like that, and they're practically kissing Inuyasha's feet. He has a strange power like that."  
  
After the argument with the jerk Sango had offered to talk...and with Kagome in the mood to tear someone apart, someone to talk to would be good. And right then, a pirate even sounded good.  
  
In more ways than one Kagome realised Sango was a lot like herself, just a young woman struggling to stay alive - and she deeply regretted her harsh words earlier. She was a pretty nice girl, actually. And if making a friend here would make her hellish life any easier, she was willing to do it.  
  
So then why did she feel dirty for being nice to Sango?  
  
Sango clapped her hands together suddenly, snapping Kagome out of her daydream. "Kagome? You alright?"  
  
"Yea..." She grumbled, "What were you talking about again?"  
  
"How Inuyasha was strong."  
  
"Let's stop talking about him." She said tiredly, swinging an arm over her face. "Is there a way I can avoid being a slave here?"  
  
Sango gripped her chin. "I wouldn't do it, Kagome. He told Miroku and me a while ago that he's fed up with chasing after you all the time. He was even threatening to hand you over to Manten if you kept up your attitude."  
  
She shuddered. "But Sango, does that mean I'm destined to be a maid here forever? I really don't want to... I have to be getting back soon."  
  
"I know. I know. Try to put up with it for a bit." Sango reassured calmly.  
  
Sango didn't mind Kagome's company in the least bit. It was refreshing to have some female company around to talk with for once. And luckily she seemed to have cooled down since earlier.  
  
"Don't worry, when Inuyasha is really fed up of seeing you around, Miroku and I will think of some way to sneak you off this ship."  
  
Inuyasha wouldn't get tired of seeing her around... the girl lying in the bed above her was an exact replica of his past lover.  
  
"Thanks..." Kagome said gratefully and grabbed another piece of honey cake. Pirate food was surprisingly not as poisonous as she thought it to be.  
  
Annoyingly, all the nice thoughts she was having about her life- borne enemies were biting at the back of her head, making her feel guiltier by the second.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Inuyasha, get that filthy rum out of your mouth and listen to me." Miroku tried to reach for the alcohol bottle in his grasp, but Inuyasha was too quick.  
  
Miroku mumbled to himself. "And you say you have lots to do around here..."  
  
"What'd ya say?" Inuyasha barked from his backed up spot in the chair. He was a little drunk, but yet sober enough to have a conversation without going mad.  
  
"Why are you shoving your face with that?" Miroku pointed to the liquid dripping down Inuyasha's chin. He wiped it roughly with his sleeves, and then shrugged.  
  
"Can you explain to me why you look so miserable at least?"  
  
"I dunno, just so sick and tired of not finding the damn jewel. We've looked for five months now and nothing has turned up," He stopped to think, "expect for that wench."  
  
Miroku raised his eyebrows. "I would hardly consider Kagome a wench, Inuyasha. If anything - "  
  
"Don't say it." He took another chug of his precious rum. "I don't feel like talking about her." He made sure to emphasize 'her'.  
  
"Seriously, Inuyasha. What do you dislike about her? She is one of the finest women I've seen in a LONG time, and I've seen quite the share of women."  
  
"Figures." Inuyasha scoffed nonchalantly.  
  
"Anyway, she seems like a nice girl, she's beautiful, she's outgoing, what more do you expect?"  
  
He set his bottle down. "I don't expect anything from her..."  
  
"If that's true then why are you drowning your sorrows with that?" Miroku asked innocently. "Perhaps you feel bad for making her cry for the umpteenth time?"  
  
Inuyasha sniggered. "Now why would I do that? Why would I feel sorry for that stupid girl who cries every time I talk to her?"  
  
Miroku 'tsked' and shook his head. "You still have so much to learn about women, my friend."  
  
"WHAT?" Inuyasha sat up immediately in an uproar, having heard a challenge. "What would you know about women that I don't, Miroku? They're a group of whiny, clingy, crying people with boobs."  
  
"We both know Sango's not like that." Miroku defended and shot him a challenging glare. "But would you say Kikyou was like that?"  
  
"Kikyou..." His facial expression changed. "Kikyou's an exception. She's one of the few women who aren't like that - she never clung and whined."  
  
"Uh huh." His assistant wasn't convinced.  
  
Inuyasha snarled, which ended up sending some spit onto Miroku's face. "She wasn't! Except for her and Sango, all women are stupid, annoying, and clinging - and cryinging!"  
  
"Cryinging isn't a word." Miroku wiped away the spit on his face with disgust. "Inuyasha, Inuyasha, Inuyasha... just how many women have you really had a chance to really get to know well?" The lecherous eyebrows were raised again. "If you know what I mean?"  
  
He thought about it for a moment. "I knew Kikyou really well, I know Sango well, and unfortunately I know Kagome...a little."  
  
Inuyasha was completely oblivious to the undercurrent of his question. Miroku shook his head. "...never mind."  
  
The captain snatched his drink up again and brought it to his mouth for a large chug. "But I knew lots of women before I was a sailor..."  
  
"Sure." Miroku rolled his eyes. "And I'm Shippou."  
  
"I did!" He arm stumbled slightly when he pointed, now a little drunker than before because he was pointing to a shelf. "I can't prove it but I did...yea..."  
  
"Really?" Miroku said, surprised. "I'm hardly convinced, captain. I still don't believe you have much womanizing skills."  
  
"Oh? I smell a challenge." Inuyasha brought his bottle up into the air. "We'll stop at a nearby town and I'll go pick up a woman. You'll see."  
  
"Inuyasha," Miroku smirked, "You're obviously drunk out of your mind because you realise the second we dock anywhere without preparing an attack, your head will be a mantelpiece? And remember you're too busy looking for the Shikon anyway."  
  
"They can't get me. They won't be able to catch me...!" He stuttered.  
  
"However, Inuyasha, I do have another way for you to prove yourself. I personally don't believe you can." Miroku tested, now pleased Inuyasha was a little drunk because he wouldn't even consider it if he weren't.  
  
"What would that be?" He yelled loudly.  
  
Miroku smiled. "If you manage to successfully apologise to Kagome without her crying or getting angry, I will be proven wrong."  
  
Inuyasha banged his fist on the unfortunate table next to him. "What? But she always cries... that's impossible!" Then he spotted the 'I knew it' look on his assistant's face and stopped.  
  
"You're on."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"And THIS is where you get the mop." Hojo gestured to a nearby hole in the wall. "And the cloths for any messes."  
  
Kagome groaned loudly but nodded nonetheless. Why bother? It wasn't like anything she could say or do would affect anything. Now why didn't she go with that moustached man who talked funny in the hiding room? Oh right...they all died.  
  
Yet she knew Inuyasha was already doing her a huge favour by not killing her off. It wasn't like she was going to admit that to anyone anytime soon.  
  
"Understand?" Hojo snapped her out of her thoughts. That seemed to happen often these days. "Or do you need me to show you how to rid of the wastes again?"  
  
"Ugh. No. I'm fine." Kagome snatched a mop to make it look like she understood perfectly well. "So where did you want me to clean again?"  
  
"Every room. Did the captain not inform you of it?"  
  
Kagome's mouth hung wide open. "And I do this all by myself...no help?"  
  
"Well, yes. But when the crew heard you were going to be the maid, they were more than pleased." Hojo mentioned cheerfully. "It's a real mess downstairs."  
  
She stilled. 'Inuyasha...you dirty bastard!'  
  
"So if you have any questions, feel free to ask. My duty today is to make sure you are fluent in everything." Hojo held his hands behind his back.  
  
God help her if she was to do this for a long period of time. "Hojo, you can't help me out just a little bit?" She brought her thumb and index finger slightly together.  
  
"I'm sorry, miss. I have strict orders saying I cannot assist you physically."  
  
"Oh." Kagome stared at the young man doubtfully. Inuyasha was ordering him around like a dog on a leash, and it was quite laughable. However, when she thought about it again she realised she was probably the more pathetic one.  
  
"HOJO! Leave!" The orders were shouted from down the hallway.  
  
"Wha-? Yes...of course, sir." Instantly, Hojo had run down the hallways and out of sight.  
  
"What do you want?" Kagome stared at the intruder evilly; recent memories flooding her brain. "I haven't done anything wrong. I'm just looking at mops. You know, if you want to shout at me you can't, because I have not done anything to upset you!"  
  
He looked unamused. His hands were resting in his pockets casually and he looked more relaxed than usual. She did not like his tone of voice. "I'm not here to shout at you."  
  
"You aren't?" Kagome watched him dubiously. "Then why are you here? To threaten me with a sword? To attack me? To kick me? Well?"  
  
"Would you believe to apologize? I shouldn't have been so hard on you back there." The words were beginning to sound forced even to him. "I'm sorry?"  
  
Shocked into speechlessness, Kagome stared at him curiously. That was until she caught a faint scent of...something odd. She'd often smelt that stuff outside of bars in the city when she'd gone to pick up the medicine. It had to be the most vulgar smell in the world.  
  
"What exactly did you do?" She asked confusedly. "What did you eat to make your breath smell so horrible?"  
  
"What?" He asked, his knees weakened a bit and he had to lean against the wall for support. That stuff he drank was pretty hard...  
  
"What's wrong with you? Why can't you stand?" She pointed at him. "And you still haven't told me what you ate!"  
  
"What I ate? Don't you mean what I drank, woman?"  
  
"Fine. What did you drink?" She repeated, wanting to know what could possibly alter someone's normalness so easily. The people outside the bars always acted somewhat strangely too.  
  
He began to cackle, loudly. "You don't know what alcohol is?"  
  
Her face reddened at his laughter. "No, I don't. So what? It's not like I need to know what that junk is!"  
  
The captain stopped laughing for a while, before reaching in his shirt and pulling out a quarter-full bottle. "Then want to try some?" He hiccupped.  
  
"Of course not. I'd like to stay on my feet, thank you." She replied, noticing just how awkward it was speaking to him without an argument going on.  
  
"Come on. One sip won't hurt ya." He stuck the bottle head up to her face.  
  
"I said no."  
  
"Are you so sure?" He shook the bottle slightly. "It gives you a light-hearted feeling and you forget all your troubles. And you look like you really need this stuff."  
  
"Why are you even offering that to me? Your lowly servant?" She questioned sarcastically. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Why not?" He grinned, and right away Kagome had to dart her eyes away from his face. That rare smile had sent a few butterflies to her stomach...and she felt disgustingly sick for even thinking that. "You know what? Give me this..."  
  
She grabbed the bottle from him and brought it to her lips. The liquid running down her throat kind of burned, but it calmed her knowing it would get rid of those annoying stomach pains.  
  
Once she emptied it, she dropped it to the floor and the glass smashed into a thousand tiny pieces.  
  
"Attagirl!" Inuyasha cheered, clapping.  
  
"That tasted like crap..." She covered her mouth with one hand, the other supporting her stomach. When she felt her stomach hurting from the unknown substance, she immediately regretted her stupidness.  
  
"Asshole..." She ground out, trying to get out on deck to throw up but it was too late. She had regurgitated everything onto the floor in front of her.  
  
"You can't take alcohol, can you? Weak stomach?" Inuyasha asked the obvious, laughing at the sight of Kagome lying before a pile of puke. "But nice try."  
  
"I hate you...so much." Kagome crawled up and stalked out of the hallway, all thoughts of her new duty diminished as Inuyasha's laughter filled the air.  
  
When Kagome was plain out of view, Miroku hopped out from a nearby closet. "Nice going, my man!"  
  
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha crumpled down to the floor. "She didn't even get to hear my apology! All I did was get her drunk!"  
  
Miroku smirked. "But that, Inuyasha, is all you need to know about womanizing."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Life on the sea was great for Kagome. Every day the fresh salty sea air filled her lungs, an endless blue sky stretched past what her eyes could see, and she ate food better than what she could have ever imagined.  
  
Now if it weren't for the rude and vulgar pirates screaming at her every few seconds, the spit and regurgitated food she had to wipe up constantly, the horribly filthy kitchen, the massive food portions she had to prepare for a hundred starving brutes, and the fights going on aboard involving smashed bottles and sticks with nails, Kagome could manage to live.  
  
Inuyasha seemed to have cooled down too. Her throwing up the drink on the floor the other day was probably one of the funnier things he'd seen in a while. So fortunately, that did some good and he didn't snap at her - that often.  
  
"Hey Kageeme, we just 'ad another one 'em fights, clean it up will ya?" A muscled brute came up with a number of bruises on his face, blood tickling out of the corner of his hairy mouth. But when he chose to slap her rear playfully, she added another injury to his list.  
  
"Another one?" She groaned and stepped over the man passed out on the floor. "There was just one yesterday..."  
  
Stalking over to the mess with a mop, Kagome reflected the time she had been aboard this deathtrap. She had no clue just how long it had been since her capture. A day? A week? Two weeks? She had stopped caring...she had stopped caring about a lot of things...  
  
Stepping up the stairs, she had to turn her head away when she took in the situation. One of the crew, no older than thirty, was lying down and madly spewing blood onto the floors.  
  
That was going to be a bummer to clean.  
  
She spotted Miroku walking over and kneeling over the man coughing a red river. "He's coughing up too much blood! Kagome!"  
  
"Yes?" She immediately ran over, feeling little pity for the sick guy...he deserved it for being such a Neanderthal. Too many of them were like him; in the past week alone there must have been six fights similar to this.  
  
These people just couldn't keep their anger inside, could they?  
  
Miroku shooed the crowd surrounding them to back off. "Miss Kagome, we have to do something!"  
  
"What are you looking at me for? I'm the farthest thing from a doctor!"  
  
Some guy in the crowd piped out, "Of course not, you would be a nurse!" She failed to see the humour in it at all, but the crowd sure didn't. They were laughing like it was the best thing they'd ever heard. What imbeciles...  
  
"Keep it down, guys." Miroku instructed. He may have been a lech at times, but when he was serious, he was serious. "Kagome, go get Inuyasha. He'll give the commands."  
  
She knew enough to know that whenever anything aboard involved the captain, it was pretty serious. So she nodded and ran towards the captain's room, fully knowing her way around by now.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Inuyasha was not a happy bunny when he heard the news.  
  
"I AM FUCKING SICK AND TIRED OF SEEING MY MEN ACT LIKE MORONS!" He bellowed to the entire crew, whom were all listening with their heads lowered to the floor. "In one week you've had six fights between you, and I will NOT let all my men die from this childish behaviour! If you've got anger take it out on our enemies!"  
  
Kagome had to give him credit for being able to scare his crew so easily. They were like tamed lions before him.  
  
He continued as he uncaringly stomped one foot on the back of the man wheezing on the floor. "WHO FOUGHT HIM?!"  
  
The crowd remained silent. Obviously no one wanted to play snitch. Inuyasha smirked, "Playing quiet, huh?" He quickly snatched the neck of the man below him, already soaking in a pile of his own blood. "You'll be of no use to me anymore."  
  
Then, she gulped at what Inuyasha did - he had chucked the bloody man over the edge and straight into the ocean. Everyone watched silently as the body collided with the water with a loud smash.  
  
He was still alive, for heaven's sake!  
  
Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest in a huff. "If ANY of you pull something like this again, it'll be worse. Now get to work."  
  
The thunderous scampering of the crew back to their tasks surprised Kagome. He was extremely intimidating with his crew...it sent goosebumps up her arms just watching it.  
  
But when it was just she, Sango, and Miroku with him, he was still a big grouch, but in no way comparable to the monster she had just witnessed.  
  
Running next to him but still making sure to keep her distance as to not touch him, she watched his face carefully: pretty emotionless. Did he feel no guilt whatsoever for what he just did?  
  
Noticing her stare lingering on his face, he barked, "What do you want?"  
  
They still weren't getting along on good terms. In fact, she had only seen him a few occasional times after the drinking incident. "You just threw that alive and injured guy into the water."  
  
"I've noticed." He carried on walking.  
  
"So you don't feel bad at all? I mean, he was one of your crewmembers..."  
  
"Your point?" He asked, bored.  
  
"My point IS, they serve you all their lives and you don't really give a crap about them." She saw him flinch a little.  
  
"What do you want me to do, give them flowers?" He spat back, entering the dark hallway leading to his room. "Believe it or not, I have standards for my crew."  
  
"Maybe so." She followed him despite the annoying glances he shot at her. If she were going to accomplish anything here, it would be to annoy this guy to no end. "But I think you're just trying to show off your power."  
  
"Don't you have something better to do?" Inuyasha stopped in front of his doors. "Like cleaning?"  
  
"Or is it because," She thought for a while, "you haven't found that treasure you've been looking for? I mean, all we seem to do around here is circle the ocean. So I just figured..."  
  
He sent her a menacing glare, but said nothing. He simply turned his back and slammed the door behind him, leaving Kagome standing outside alone.  
  
"Jerk..." She grumbled the final word to the door and left, satisfied with her harassment for the day.  
  
Meanwhile, in the navigation room on the other side of the boat, a deafening shriek could be heard.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: Not much to say. But this time I swear I will try to get out the next chapter soon!  
  
Thanks again to my wonderful reviewers! ^_^  
  
*~Sorena~* 


	6. A Plan to Flee

Disclaimer: I distinctively remember saying I own nothing, not even Inuyasha.  
  
AN: See, I told you guys I could write this on time! ^_^  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 6 - A Plan to Flee  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Another morning. Another meaningless day. Another day to slave away.  
  
Kagome sat bored on her usual rickety stool in the kitchen, chewing mindlessly on a piece of bread. Seeing as those slums wouldn't awake for another half an hour, she figured she could sneak some extra food before anyone caught her in the act.  
  
In the short while she'd been here, she'd already heard from the crew more than enough times that taking more food than you were given was practically a sin - to Inuyasha at least.  
  
Kagome smiled to herself and brought her gaze down to the loaf resting innocently in her hands. Of course, what she was doing right then was dangerously surfacing thin ice. Or as the crew liked to put it, you can get the same results giving the captain a friendly bear hug.  
  
She giggled before turning to the mass amount of food stocked up in shelves or just lying about messily on the counters. It was bizarre... she was surrounded now by more food than she would have ever seen her entire life on the island. The measly portions of food she managed to scrape up were always given to Souta first. The leftovers she'd always considered more than enough for herself.  
  
She brought her hand on her head with a depressed sigh. Souta... she'd tried blocking his image out of her head every single day but it was impossible: the thought of Souta lying on his bed with a high fever, starved out of his mind with no one to care for him. Coughing and wheezing and...  
  
The girl squeezed her eyes together tightly, 'Oh Souta...please be alright.' If anything were to happen to him she would just...  
  
"Kagome?" A voice appeared out of nowhere; surprising the girl so much she dropped the bread onto the floor.  
  
"Sampling....I sampling first!" She yelled quickly, bending over for the food she accidentally let go of. 'If Inuyasha finds out about this...' "It tasted stale." She made up. "Good thing I tried that deadly stuff before any - "  
  
"Kagome, cut the act. It's me." She glanced up. Sango had been the cheerful intruder. And fortunately for her Sango couldn't care less what she ate. "You're still hungry?"  
  
"Yea. Well, you know." She shrugged and dusted off her bread. "I rarely saw food last week, and now I'm enclosed by it. I have to take advantage of it somehow." She said slowly, still trying to shove that picture of Souta to the back of her head.  
  
It would only make her more depressed knowing she was hurting him indirectly.  
  
Sango plopped down in front of her. "Smart. But just remember not to let anyone else know. Especially Miroku." She raised an eyebrow. "He'll probably blackmail you in some disgusting way we don't want to know about."  
  
"Oh..." Kagome made a face and quickly shoved the rest into her mouth. "So...what are you up to?"  
  
The girl across from her propped her chin in the palm of her hand. "I'm just bored. Even battles are more interesting than sitting around like this."  
  
"I don't think so." Kagome said quickly and shook her head. Her last experience with one wasn't exactly what she would call pleasant. Just thinking about that airless box in the floor again made her cringe in disgust. "So... what do you guys do then? Wait for attacks every day?"  
  
"No." Sango retorted, looking a little offended. "If we find some place we want to check out, we go in. And if the town puts up a fight, then we will fight back. But we don't invade towns for no apparent reason."  
  
"Oh?" Kagome said with a bit of sarcasm in her voice as she reached for another piece of bread. "I thought most pirates did that sort of thing."  
  
Sango stared at the counter. "We do. But Inuyasha doesn't like doing that, unless it really comes down to it and we have to check the place out." She shot the girl a brief smile. "But I'm pretty sure Inuyasha hates killing women and children."  
  
She scoffed. "He didn't seem to be so hesitant about ridding of me..." Kagome mumbled under her breath, barely audible enough for the other girl to hear. "Stupid - "  
  
Then out of nowhere, a deafening voice boomed from behind, startling the girls. "QUICK! TO THE MAIN DECK!!!"  
  
They spun around to face a bearded man standing in the doorframe, and before they could say anything he had zipped back the way he came from. They watched each curiously other before shrugging and following his tracks towards the deck.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Kagome whispered to Sango as they edgily ran up the stairs. God... if it was what she thought it was, "Another battle?"  
  
"I don't think so." Sango said seriously, her face looking eerily calm. "It doesn't sound like one... be quiet anyway."  
  
Nodding, Kagome kept her mouth shut as they continued dashed down the hallways; their breaths short and not one word conversed between them.  
  
Finally, they rounded a bend in a huff to encounter something completely unexpected. The entire crew were standing in straight, army lines before whom else but Inuyasha, who was busy announcing something Kagome couldn't make out until she had calmed enough to catch her breath.  
  
"...my men, our navigator has informed me that he has discovered an island fifty miles from here, which is most likely containing what we've been searching for all this time!"  
  
Cue thundering applause and hooting from the crew here.  
  
"So when we arrive, I expect your teamwork, determination, and brains put into account! I can already feel our treasure in our hands!!!" He yelled, proudly punching his large fist in the air. Men...  
  
Kagome, more clueless than ever stood lost next to Sango at the edge of the sea craft. The female pirate still looked a bit bored, but at least a little more keyed up than before. "Um Sango...what are we doing?"  
  
She paused for a while before lowering her voice and turning to Kagome. "Supposedly Shippou found an island that might have the treasure Inuyasha's looking for, so we're going to go and explore the place."  
  
She stared at the girl dubiously. "We?"  
  
'"We' as in everyone except for a few to guard the boat. If we don't lookout for it anyone could come sack it and leave us all stranded. The exploring part is usually only a day or two, depending on the size of the island." Sango told her briefly, "but the real problem comes from the island itself."  
  
Inuyasha's faded hollering continued before them, "... so we will gear up in preparation for anything in our way!"  
  
More cheering from his men.  
  
Sango sighed and scratched her head. "If there is a village on the island, we will be forced to attack and injure almost everyone. And I really, really hate hurting villagers." From her depressed tone of voice it almost sounded like she meant it.  
  
"Then don't!" Kagome grabbed her shoulders tightly, not wanting to be involved with something so deathly familiar to her. "Sango, don't kill innocent people because of some treasure! The villages don't deserve it," Not wanting to sound sappy she added, "I mean, isn't there another way to go around this?"  
  
"I...I don't think so, Kagome." Sango replied softly.  
  
"But..." A thought popped into her head and she excitedly slammed her hand on the wooden railing. "Wait, what am I talking about? This is it! THIS IS IT!"  
  
"What's it?" Sango turned to the blabbering girl in disbelief. Was she out of her mind? "What are you talking about?"  
  
"This is the opportunity I've been looking for!" Kagome screeched to herself, practically jumping up and down as she brought her gaze to Sango. "This is so incredibly perfect!"  
  
"Stop your ranting and raving and explain it to me."  
  
She gasped. "Don't you see? This is what I've been waiting for all this time!" She brought Sango's ear closer and whispered anxiously, "I can sneak away when we're exploring the island."  
  
"Kagome...are you nuts?" Sango shot her a doubtful look before taking another gulp of air. "You're on an island. There's no place for you to run!"  
  
She had a point there. "But Sango, there are a million things I could do. Hide in a ditch with leaves on top, climb a mountain, take a ship somewhere else; he shouldn't be able to find me, right?"  
  
"I - " Sango stuttered with words but didn't bother adding anything more. She wearily rubbed her forehead. "Well, Inuyasha will find you if he puts his mind to it. I'm just warning you."  
  
Crossing her arms over her chest in a huff, Kagome shot her a fierce look, "Sango, didn't you promise me earlier that you and Miroku would help me get away? Don't tell me this isn't the perfect opportunity!"  
  
"But I... I know. I know. I did promise you." Sango said wearily and hesitantly looked over her shoulder to spot Inuyasha. Then she turned back to the pleading girl. "Alright. I'll try, okay?"  
  
She grinned brightly. "Oh Sango! Thank you so much! I really don't know what I would do if it weren't for you."  
  
Sango sighed tiredly, staring at the floor and unable to find a response to that.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I WHAT?" Kagome screamed loudly after Inuyasha had come to talk to her after his speech, the shrillness of her voice nearly shattering all the windows aboard.  
  
Inuyasha sighed impatiently and repeated to the slow girl, "I said, you're not coming to shore with us. I have a few guys staying here to watch you and the boat."  
  
"Bu-but then, what about Sango?" She asked hopefully, her eyes locking onto his stern ones. She winced to get a better look at them. For the first time ever she noticed they were quite an unusual colour - probably a mixture of light brown and purple. Funny how she never really paid any attention to them.  
  
Inuyasha caught her stare and challenged her to keep staring. "Sango's coming with us."  
  
Kagome dragged her eyes to the floor straight away. "That's no fair." Kagome pouted and stomped her foot, desperate to budge him into allowing. "I want to get off this boat too."  
  
"No. You're a prisoner, you have no right to follow around like you're part of the crew." He said seriously, not much gentler than the first day they had met, "if you keep complaining I'll keep you in the cell so you don't mope around deck all day."  
  
"I liked you better when you were drunk." She muttered to herself, her eyes darting at everything except the man in front of her.  
  
"What?!" She couldn't tell if he was angry and wanted her to repeat that to his face, or if he plain just didn't hear her.  
  
"Nothing..." Well, there went her perfect escape plan. There was no way in this world she was going to manage to escape a few men on this ship guarding her every move. She pointed towards the group of men, "Well, I don't feel safe here staying with some guys who might do god-knows-what to me! I want to stay with Sango!"  
  
He scratched his head in annoyance. "I said - "  
  
"Inuyasha, I think you should consider allowing Miss Kagome to accompany us." Miroku had unexpectedly popped out of nowhere with Sango at his side. "Because she does have a point. It isn't safe keeping a delicate girl like Kagome here with these guys."  
  
"But she can't come!" The captain reassured, waving his hands in the air madly. "There are probably a lot of wild beasts on this island and it wouldn't be safe!"  
  
Miroku nodded, but didn't look like he was backing down anytime soon. "True, but she would be much safer in our large group and under our protection, wouldn't you say?"  
  
He thought for a while and mumbled under his breath, but after a moment he heaved a sigh. "You know what? Fine. She can goddamn come, but don't expect me to protect her if we're attacked." He pointed to the two of them. "You two can take care of her."  
  
And with that, he made the stupid "Keh!" sound he made every so often and turned to march back towards his crew.  
  
When they were convinced he couldn't hear them anymore, Kagome beamed brightly. "I can't thank you guys enough!" She stifled a slight grin and said jokingly, "I take back my comment on all pirates being extremely evil. You two have been nothing but helpful!"  
  
Sango smiled politely and nudged the man next to her in the ribs. "Well, I told him about your plan. He said he'd try to help out as much as he can."  
  
"Anything for two beautiful ladies." Miroku grinned playfully, resting a hand lower on Sango's back than she would have liked it. "Anything."  
  
Kagome watched uneasily as thick veins began showing on Sango's forehead one at a time. And it wasn't long before Miroku was left with a painful-looking red mark on his cheek. "Sango, you hurt me."  
  
She turned away. "Good."  
  
Kagome swore she caught a glimpse of Sango's reddened cheeks for a split second before the embarrassed girl grabbed her arm and dragged her away.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The captain strolled lightly thorough the hallways of his new boat, thoroughly pestered by their visitor. After hearing of the jewel sighting from Shippou in the morning, he'd been thrilled for a while; humming a cheerful tune and giving lectures even he thought were fairly impressive.  
  
Then that whiny wench had to go refuse the plan he'd made up for her, after he'd bothered wasting his time thinking of something for her to do! That woman had to be the most ungrateful little...  
  
"Inuyasha, sir!" A familiar voice called him from behind, snapping him out of his frustrated thoughts on the girl.  
  
"What is it Manten?" He asked irritably and without having to turn around.  
  
"The brat has reported that we will be there in approximately thirty minutes, and to start lowering the boats." He pointed out. "We won't be getting too close this time because there are some pointy rocks around the island."  
  
"Yea. Go ahead and get Hiten and some others to start unloading the boats," Inuyasha began, and already Manten was heading towards the direction of the deck. "I want it done long before we halt, got that?"  
  
"Of course, sir!" Echoed down the hallway as he scampered away.  
  
"Now..." Inuyasha stretched his arms with a yawn, his body sore and aching from the five months they'd stayed aboard without anywhere to go. He stopped complaining when another thought of him lacing the shiny, pink pearl between his fingers entered his head. "To get it."  
  
He smirked to himself and was starting to head in Manten's direction, when all of sudden that Kikyou look-alike's face popped into his head again. 'Oh right... she's coming along. Why did I agree to let those idiots let her come in the first place?' He regretted and turned down a dark corridor, '...nothing but bad luck.'  
  
He stood still when he realised his distracted mind had made him turn down the wrong passage. It was this damned boat with all its dark hallways' fault! He was right about to beat something's daylight out of it when someone's light voice reached his sensitive ears:  
  
"...a sign, definitely. Why else would he keep grabbing you like he does?"  
  
"Maybe because I'm the only girl available here he can put his hands on. I mean, if we were out in a town with tons of women he'd be after all of them in a second. It's like, it's like he doesn't even know the real meaning of a real relationship."  
  
"Miroku doesn't lay his hands on me, does he? I'm sure he's interested in you, Sango. It looks like it to me."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. It was just stupid girl talk. Of all the hallways, he just had to walk down the particular one with Sango's room, and listen to that stupid conversation about stupid things. Of course Miroku liked Sango! He grabbed her often enough, didn't he?  
  
Making a quiet snort, Inuyasha turned to sneak away when the next sentence caught his immediate attention.  
  
"Miroku doesn't go after you, Kagome, because Inuyasha would most likely beat him up." Sango added with a snigger.  
  
Feeling a deep rush of anger take over him, he made sharp fists in both hands and squeezed firmly. Who the hell was Sango to make a presumption like that? Miroku could go screw Kagome for all he cared! Why couldn't Sango keep her mouth shut for once?  
  
But instead of storming inside to give her a piece of his mind, as he so badly wanted to do, he waited idly at the doorway for Kagome's reply. Only there was none.  
  
"Kagome, what's wrong?" He listened attentively to Sango's question.  
  
"Why... why would Inuyasha beat him up?" She asked, sounding confused yet concerned at the same time.  
  
Inuyasha heard Sango stutter. "Because he..." He cursed the girl internally, just daring her to say anything she would regret later on. Sango paused, as if she couldn't decide how to phrase her answer. "Because you're our prisoner. He's not allowed to get attached to our prisoners. "  
  
Sango could live for now...  
  
"What? That's why?" Kagome squeaked with relief. "Thank goodness."  
  
"Why? What'd you think it was, Kagome, huh?" Sango teased. "You thought that he - "  
  
"No! I mean no - nothing. I just didn't know why." She sighed exasperatedly. "You know what? I'm thrilled I'm leaving. His snappy attitude has been driving me up the wall."  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched. Did she just say she was leaving? He never gave her permission to leave! And what was that about his attitude?  
  
"Kagome, just how are you planning to get away when he's so observant?" Sango pointed out. "He has eyes like a hawk."  
  
The girl paused. "I thought about that. Halfway throughout the walk, I'll just say I have to go do my business, and I'll ask you to come along. Then you can return and say that I ran away when you turned your back."  
  
Sango said worriedly, "But then won't I get in trouble with him?"  
  
Stopping, Kagome lowered her voice to a weak whisper; worried that someone may be listening in on their conversation. Oh, how little she knew. "What about this? Say that I attacked you and threw you onto the ground, and then ran away."  
  
"That might work. But Inuyasha's smart enough to know that you wouldn't be able to attack me, let alone knock me out. No offense."  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, not knowing whether to be happy with her compliment or pissed off at the fact that she was actually HELPING this girl get away! Sango... Sango was definitely betraying him, helping her escape behind his back... he snarled quietly. His assistant had to be taught a lesson.  
  
"None taken. But now I don't know what to do, Sango." He heard Kagome plop down onto the bed. "I really hope my leaving doesn't get you into any trouble with him."  
  
"Yea, he can be pretty rough most of the time, but he's a good guy. He'll understand why I did what I did. Your brother's sick, so you're going back to take care of him. I'm sure I'd do the same myself if my brother was in that situation." She said meekly.  
  
The day that Kohaku kid died flashed back clearly into his head. He'd been there, taking care of some usual weakling enemies when he'd heard a sharp scream pierce the air beside him. Spinning around to catch the source of it, it was then that some warm blood splattered across his face as everything shone clearly to him: Sango's little brother was hanging on a sword straight through his heart and out his back.  
  
Of course Sango had flown straight over and brutally finished off the man who had done it, but her face... it was so full of fear and anguish - and hate. Surprisingly enough, she didn't cry, not ever. Not even when they threw the kid's body into the ocean...  
  
He bit his lips until he tasted some of his own blood. He hated it immensely when memories came back like that, always making him feel guilty. How was he supposed to punish Sango with a memory like that, damn it?  
  
"Yea... I miss him." Kagome said solemnly. "But I'm going to go back and see him again."  
  
"See, that's the spirit."  
  
"I suppose I'll figure something out when we get there. I mean, anything could happen halfway. I'll leave when the time is right."  
  
Inuyasha swore he heard them heading towards the door now so he quickly leapt out of the hallway. 'That's what you think, girl...'  
  
"Captain, sir! The boats are all prepared for lowering. All we need to do now is load the people onto them." Hiten stated loudly as Inuyasha reached the deck, his arms signalling to the large crew. "We'll have around nine to a boat."  
  
"Good. But before we do that I want to make a quick announcement." He smiled in delight when he spotted the two girls coming upstairs and running towards the main gathering listening to him. "My men, this island is going to be big, so it will most likely take us long to explore. I want us to divide into two groups to explore the place."  
  
The crowd remained silent. It was, after all, the first time the captain suggested anything absurd like this. It wasn't a smart plan in the least! It was far safer to go in the whole pack than in a smaller one.  
  
Inuyasha noticed the questioning looks on the girl's faces and looked away. "So I will have you..." With his arm he cut an imaginary line through half his men. "...go with me. The rest will go with Miroku and Sango. I trust they will do a first-rate job."  
  
He had cut Kagome off right beside Sango, so she was unlucky enough to have to go with his group. He was too brilliant... there was no way she'd have the guts to leave if she wasn't with Sango and stuck alone with him. He'd like to see her try to run away now.  
  
He spotted her furious face... and smiled evilly. He was going to give her hell for even considering running away.  
  
"Well, shall we board?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: Sorry if this chapter seemed unlengthy and unmoving, but it felt like a good place to stop. The next chapter should be much more exciting...  
  
For those wondering if Inuyasha and Kagome will ever be attracted to each other, it might take a while, and you'll have to see what evil tricks I have up my sleeves. ^_^  
  
Thanks again to my reviewers, hearing from you guys always makes my day. And to Lazydoll06, your question should be answered in the next chapter. ^_^  
  
*~Sorena~* 


	7. Hot, Cold, Water

Disclaimer: From now on I'm no longer doing these at the beginning of every chapter......... I think after seven chapters people get the general idea. So here goes: I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
AN: Not much to say this time, but let's hope there are still people reading this. ^_^  
  
Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 7 – Hot, Cold, Water  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What did you just say?" She stared absently at the pleased captain, his face blown into a satisfied smirk near the front of the boat. His smiling face was so cheerful it was unsettling to say the least. "Did you just say I have to go with you?" She scowled.  
  
The entire crew snapped their heads around to catch the face who had just yelled something from behind. Who exactly was cracked up enough to talk to the captain with that kind of voice?  
  
"You heard me fine." His voice was lower and more intimidating than before, which she realised happened whenever he talked to her in front of the others. "I've decided you're coming with my group."  
  
The crowd murmured among themselves, but kept it somewhat discreet in case Inuyasha heard. He did. "Shut up. The next person to make a sound will be fed to the sharks." Inuyasha barked at his crew.  
  
Instant silence. Kagome winced at an image of the savage beast ripping her apart, her arms floating limply in the water and detached from her body. The shark would be pretty awful too.  
  
She turned to him with a confused frown. "But didn't you say earlier that Sango and Miroku would be taking me? Why am I going with you now?"  
  
"I've changed my mind." He was the only one who stood steady as the boat gradually pulled to a stop. "I don't quite think they're up to handling your sneakiness." He said, eyeing his assistants carefully.  
  
"And you are?" She challenged back, tired of being screwed over like this. She glared at the crew watching her with interest and sighed. "You know what? Forget it. I'll go with your stupid group........."  
  
"Good." He seemed pleased enough as he walked over to help the others push the wooden rowboats until they were hanging over the edge, dangling on a few strands of rope.  
  
The man tightened the ropes one last time before pointing at it. "Ladies first."  
  
That remark was just oozing sarcasm, but Kagome tried to ignore it and made her way over to the front, not wanting to be the last one with only a few guys holding the weight. "Are you certain this is able to handle me?"  
  
No one bothered to answer her question, so she took it as a 'yes' anyways. However, when she stumbled onto the edge and peered down, it was nothing like she had expected – it was a direct vertical drop into rippling blackness. And there was a good leg's length of a hole between her and the wobbly-looking craft. She couldn't do this.........  
  
"Hurry up and jump!" Someone shouted from the crowd, obviously annoyed with the girl's constant stumbling and not looking like she was about to go anytime soon.  
  
"Wait......... I need to prepare first." She took deep, calming breaths, but none were quite comforting enough to settle her blistering nerves.  
  
She kept telling herself she would just prove all those idiots wrong by leaping onto the boat as gracefully as a swan, but then the dim thought of her drowning always took over.  
  
"Oh for Christ's sake!" Another man yelled from the crowd, and this time he wasn't alone. From the groans of irritation in the crowd she could assume they were tiring of her antics.  
  
"I've got it. Just give me a -" Before she could finish, an arm out of nowhere had quickly swooped around her waist and she was leaping through the air in a flash. "-Oof!"  
  
Shortly after the jump, she was roughly released by the hand and dropped smack onto the wooden surface of the rowboat, her head making sure to knock against the seats first. "Wha-?!"  
  
"Are you alright, Miss Kagome? I didn't mean to be so rough." Watching through blurry eyes, Kagome painfully noticed it was Shippou's assistant. He was wearing a somewhat pitying look as he looked down at her, his hand outstretched.  
  
"It's okay.........I'm fine, Hojo......... I'll get up on my own thanks." As if it weren't embarrassing enough already being grabbed and thrown into a boat like some package.........  
  
Hojo understood and jumped back over onto the other side as easily as he could walk. She heard a few distinct "good going man"s, and a few "finally!" s, but nothing could compare to the filthy smirk she spotted on the captain's face. Inuyasha had his head hidden to hide his sniggers, but she could tell his head was shaking with amusement.  
  
About to argue with him, she caught herself so she wouldn't anger the pirates any further. Who knew what they would do if they all wanted to get rid of her.........  
  
So instead she laid back against the side and watched drearily as a few pirates leaped smoothly into the boat with her. Was it just her, or were they all trying to show off their jumping abilities?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Funnily enough, the rocking motions of the wooden rowboat reminded her of something eerily familiar. It was actually making her a little uneasy, so she grabbed the edge tightly and stared again at who was sharing the boat with her.  
  
Straight across from her parked Sango, who watched back with a nervous smile. Next to her sat Miroku, who also regarded her with a smile, but his seemed a lot creepier. The other faces she didn't recognise, and didn't bother doing so. They all looked too much alike.........  
  
"Starboard!" Shouted Inuyasha from the boat next to hers, his eyes glazing over everyone's except her own. "Row faster, men! You call that rowing? A baby with one arm could row faster!"  
  
Well, one thing was for sure. At least they respected her enough not to make her row like a bloody lunatic, or maybe they just thought she'd be too weak. Either way, it worked out for the better.  
  
"Hey Kagome, do you see anyone on the island?" Sango asked as they slowly pulled themselves into a muddy and quaint little bay. Everyone in their boats had their weapons armed and ready to attack if needed. She felt so soiled being around them.  
  
She barely looked. "I don't think so."  
  
Miroku sensed she was uncomfortable right away. Her squirming and uneasiness was getting to him. "Miss Kagome, what's the matter?"  
  
"Nothing.........well I-I just feel weird doing this." She folded her arms over her chest. "I don't like the feeling."  
  
She was still avoiding the looks the other pirates were shooting her way when a hand reached over and placed itself on her thigh. "It's alright. We'll try to keep our actions less harsh for you." Miroku gave her a warm smile.  
  
Her eyebrow twitched. "I appreciate that, Miroku, but do have to say that while rubbing my thigh?" She glared at him.  
  
Sango finished him off by swatting him a hard one on the head.  
  
"Ow! Sango! What'd you hit me for? Hey! Don't ignore me."  
  
Kagome would have smiled at their repetitive display, but it was difficult. She could practically see it now......... in minutes Inuyasha would be leading the group into a village......... and then she would watch from the side them slaughtering the villagers like it was some sort of a pleasurable game.  
  
Even worse, would the townspeople see her and think she was one of them? Nothing but a violent pirate? Would they try to attack her nonetheless?  
  
This was turning into worse of a nightmare than she had first imagined. If Souta saw her frolicking with this bunch she'd rather be choked by Inuyasha over and over again.  
  
Sango's screaming stopped her train of thought. ".........Miroku! If I have to stop you one more time I swear I won't be held for my -- oh my god, look!"  
  
His eyes turned pasty. "We're here."  
  
Kagome drifted her eyes over to the direction the girl was staring intently at. The island was a lot larger than it looked from the boat, obviously, but she saw that it was also a lot wilder. Palm trees, shrubs, the works. It was practically a jungle with the animal noises and eerie sounds coming from every bend.  
  
And there wasn't a person in sight, let alone a village.  
  
"WE'LL GO AHEAD!" Inuyasha announced as his boat rowed at light's speed. He wasn't doing a thing, just standing at the front and talking like the bossy ass that he was. "After we dock I want the boats to pull in one at a time, do you hear me?"  
  
"YES, SIR!" Everyone echoed except for Kagome.  
  
So while Inuyasha rowed away she sat there, twiddling her fingers and staring at nothing but a splinter in the wood beneath her. Blocking out the chatter of the men around her (except Sango), Kagome rested her head back and absorbed the sun's unnatural heat and the sickening smell of the salty water.  
  
Kagome scratched her head in frustration as she noticed she didn't smell right. She hadn't had a bath since she left Souta and she surely hadn't changed clothes. She glanced down at her attire.  
  
The blouse had the rip in it from Inuyasha's horrifying hands, but she had tied it up, and her green skirt was in no better condition. She sighed and sat uncomfortably in her filthy clothes.  
  
And finally, after what felt like hours, it was their turn to start rowing to shore. And this time, she had to grab an oar and join in on all the fun. Apparently Inuyasha thought they were moving too slowly for his taste.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Is everybody in their group yet?"  
  
"Yes, captain." Miroku counted his crew under his breath as he reported to Inuyasha on the beach. "But they seem a little unsettled. There appears to be a rare heat wave on this island, and not to mention quite a shortage of water."  
  
Inuyasha snarled. "I thought we brought a few tons of water." He watched his sweaty crew resting under the shady areas of the island. "Where did that all go?"  
  
Miroku wiped the sweat off his forehead. "We did bring it. But in replacement for more people to fit into the boats, we had to put some buckets back onto the ship."  
  
"Idiots........." He grumbled quietly and scratched his head. "Then I guess we'll have to conserve. Divide the water supply into two, and have a couple men from each group carry it. You and Sango control how much each person gets."  
  
"And if we run out?"  
  
"Keh! Then it's your problem. You can always head back to the ship if you're not lost or killed already."  
  
Miroku sighed, nodded and stalked back over to his group with another weight on his shoulders. His group consisted of all the people Kagome knew: Hojo, Shippou, and even Hiten and Manten. "Listen guys, we'll have a shortage of water on this exploration," a groan rolled through the crowd. "So we'll be limited on the amounts we all get. To be fair; however, it shall always be divided evenly."  
  
A few annoyed mutters were said but everyone somewhat agreed. Not happily though.  
  
"Kagome," Sango squeezed her arm tightly and whispered; "good luck getting away from him. If you do it, I'll be really proud of you. And surprised."  
  
"Yea, thanks for everything you've done." Kagome said awkwardly. "But I guess this is goodbye, huh?"  
  
Sango smiled. "Probably. Unless of course by some odd twist of fate I see you again somewhere else. But that most likely won't happen."  
  
"COME ON, SANGO! We're going!" Miroku watched them from afar. "We'll leave without you!"  
  
"Bye' Kagome." And with one last parting hug, Sango ran along and disappeared through the bushes faster than she could blink.  
  
It felt so empty and alone now, this stupid, deserted beach. No support, no one to talk to, and even worse, she was stuck with Inuyasha.  
  
"HEY BITCH! Would you hurry up already?"  
  
Well, at least he still remembered she existed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So how exactly are we going to find the jewel again?" Kagome listened tiredly to the two men in front of her talking. She was the last one in the pack and she was soon going to fall far behind.  
  
She sighed as she stepped over another root, ducked under another stump, climbed up more steep rocks. Would this torture ever end? Why didn't she agree to stay on the boat where she'd do nothing but eat and sleep?  
  
Oh yea, she had to escape. But the right opportunity hasn't seemed to show anytime yet.........  
  
The skinnier, taller guy with the blond hair reached for a branch. "I don't know. Supposedly the Captain and that Miroku guy can kind of sense the thing. So just keep quiet and keep following him."  
  
"About this treasure......... do you think - " He noticed Kagome's interested glare from behind and sneered at her.  
  
Kagome wasn't stupid. She'd noticed the crew either hated her because Inuyasha hadn't gotten rid of her, or lusted for her. In these two's cases, they probably hated her guts.  
  
The skinny guy who sneered at her rudely continued, keeping his voice down. "Think about it. What's in this for us? The captain's gonna get his jewel and we'll be stuck with yadda. Except maybe heat stroke."  
  
"Are you saying the captain's not going to share his treasure with us once he finds it?"  
  
"Exactly. He's probably using us for his own benefits. I say-" Suddenly he felt the same presence listening in on their conversation. He spun to stare unkindly at Kagome. "Hey girl, what the hell are you looking at?"  
  
Kagome looked around to see who he was talking to, but finally remembered she was the only girl around. "Me? I'm not looking at anything."  
  
"Yea........." The more muscular man with a mole on his face looked back at her. "Ain't you the wench the captain's taking along?"  
  
"Define 'taking along'." She replied, wondering if this was the perfect opportunity to run for it. Unfortunately it wasn't.........they were on a path with running water on both sides of them. "Because I wouldn't be staring at you guys anyways."  
  
"Hey, are you getting smart with us?" The mole guy asked, slowing down his speed and fully turning to face her. "Listen Kenji, she's giving us attitude 'cause she's fucking the captain!"  
  
"Wha -? EXCUSE ME?" She boiled as her face turned an ugly red, fists forming at both sides angrily. How dare these jerks even assume something repulsive like that! "I am NOT doing anything with that pi - Inuyasha!"  
  
The guy imitated her in an obnoxious voice. "I am not sleeping with 'Inuyasha', but I follow him around like a whore for no reason!" The other guy started cackling.  
  
Kagome stomped her foot like a child. "I am NOT a whore, so don't you dare call me that! I did not sleep with Inuyasha, and I wouldn't sleep with him in a thousand years!" She screamed, her hair tousling and flying everywhere.  
  
Speaking of the devil, Inuyasha chose that moment to run over. "What the hell is going on here? Kenji? Jio?"  
  
"Ahh, captain. This girl here is just having a hard time in the heat. Forget about her."  
  
Kagome looked like a mess. Her face was steaming and her hair was messed. She wanted to cry so badly right then, she was tired of being humiliated and laughed at, and made fun of.........she wanted to cry like she had the first night in the cell.  
  
"So it's nothing serious?" His cold eyes locked onto hers, as if he was verifying her face for an answer. Her blushing face seemed to match their explanation. "Idiot, if you're too hot just drink some water." And with that, he raced back to the front of the crowd.  
  
"Oh." It would have been somewhat friendly if he hadn't included the 'idiot', but it was kind of him anyway to offer water to her during a shortage.  
  
"Listen, girl." The Kenji guy turned to her again with a threatening tone. His hand reached over and snatched a hold of her shirt, fisting the ripped area she had tied up. "You probably heard what we just said, about the whole treasure thing........."  
  
She shook her head slowly, trying to push away the tight grip.  
  
He smirked and only further tightened his grip. "So keep your pretty little mouth shut and don't tell the captain about our conversation, and we won't have to hurt you, okay sweetie?" His breath reeked of garlic, and she had to hold her breath to keep from gagging. "And don't think we won't hesitate to touch you, because we gladly will. Right, Jio?"  
  
She almost coughed in his face from the lack of oxygen. She winced slightly as the main group walked further and further away from them. Where were Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha when you needed them?  
  
"Do you hear that?" His friend further threatened. "And don't you try to tell the captain, either. Because we'll drag you down with us. Way down."  
  
Her heart sped up immensely, and she drew in a deep breath of air. "I-I won't.........let go of me." She pulled away, but didn't budge much. "I can barely breathe."  
  
"What do you say?" His voice was taunting her.  
  
"Let go, damnit!" Her shirt was threatening to tear now, and she didn't need it to rip again. "Or I'll scream."  
  
Kenji grinned. "Such a rude girl. Say 'please' and just maybe I'll let you go."  
  
She snarled angrily, holding back the dying urge to kick him so hard in the family jewels he would be rolling on the ground with pain forever. But she still valued her life, "I would NEVER, EVER, say 'please' to a pirate like you." She spat out like filth in her mouth..  
  
"Oh?" The man warmly laughed at her foolishness, released the grip on her shirt and pushed her backwards, causing her to stumble. "You wouldn't say 'please' to a pirate, you say? So you think you're better than us? You're a pirate – no, not even – a pitiful slave on a pirate ship who whores the captain. Listen carefully - we can kill you on a whim if we wanted to."  
  
Jio chuckled. "That's right. Don't you fuckin' forget your place."  
  
She swallowed loudly and took a few unstable steps backwards before racing to the group as quickly as her feet would carry her, all the while holding back the stingy tears at the corner of her eyes wetting her vision. She'd rather take abuse from Inuyasha any day.........  
  
Those Kenji and Jio guys apparently weren't to be messed with. They treated her with less respect than a common leaf on the ground, maybe even worse. And why did they care so much that she kept her mouth shut about their conversation? It wasn't that interesting anyway.........  
  
Once she caught up to the main group she trailed the end again, and she occasionally glanced back to make sure those two weren't catching up. When they did show up through the bushes, she scooted towards the front of the line, only a few rows behind the eager Inuyasha.  
  
She dried her damp eyes with the back of her hand as she sniffled as quietly as she could. She hated it when she cried in front of these pigs. And they probably hated it too.  
  
Then she had a thought. What if she told Inuyasha what she heard? Those assholes wouldn't even have time to get to her before Inuyasha took care of them, right?  
  
She shook her head. Wrong. They could probably kill her before he got to them. It wasn't worth the risk. "This sucks........."  
  
A drop of water suddenly rolled into her eyes and she wiped it off with the back of her hand. She wasn't crying anymore, and it sure wasn't raining. Confused, she wiped her brow and found her hand soaked with sweat. And she finally realised the hotness of the place.  
  
The guys in front of her were already madly tearing their shirts off from the heat, and they probably would have ran in the nude if Kagome weren't around.  
  
The lack of shirts was enough to do Kagome in. She immediately covered her eyes with both hands, hiding behind her shield of fingers. She had never, ever, in her life, been in such close proximity with bare- chested men. Sure, on her island she'd occasionally seen shirtless guys on beaches and whatnot, but she'd always seen it from afar and ran away blushing afterwards.  
  
She really needed to get out more often.........  
  
So she continued to follow the group, looking like an imbecile with her face hidden in her hands, not wanting to see a thing. Kagome didn't like the idea of being surrounded by so many half-naked men.  
  
"Hey, lookie, the missie's embarrassed!"  
  
"Come on, girl! Are we that ugly?"  
  
She peeked slightly through her fingers to find that everyone had stopped walking to turn to laugh at her. The roaring of the laughter was ringing in her ears even as Inuyasha made his way through the crowd. "WHY ARE WE STOPPING?"  
  
"Captain, the girlie's embarrassed!" She heard one stupid guy yell through his laughter, she was still refusing to remove her hands.  
  
She heard Inuyasha snigger. "What's wrong? Never seen a man's body in your life?" More obnoxious laughing.  
  
"For your information, I have!" She walked forwards a bit with her eyes still covered, only to have everyone start laughing again.  
  
"Um.........girl, I'm over here" Oh, so that was why. She was walking further away from Inuyasha with every step. Enough was enough. She hesitantly pulled her hands from her face, letting in the sharp streams of sunlight.  
  
When she blinked her eyes open, she deeply regretted dropping her hands in the first place. Inuyasha was still grinning at her as she spotted him, wearing a brown shirt with no sleeves. Though he was the only guy still wearing something covering his upper body, his muscles were pretty darn noticeable. His built arms were glowing gold under the sun, and she couldn't seem to drag her eyes away from the droplet of sweat rolling down that perfect muscular build.  
  
She bit the inside of her cheek to distract herself. Was she just salivating over the captain's arms? She felt sick. "I said......... for your information I have." She looked at the ground.  
  
He noticed her keeping her gaze locked on everything but him and he chuckled. "Men! Put on your shirts and try to endure the heat! Let's not traumatize the girl now."  
  
"What? Come on, chief! Who cares?" Similar mutters were yelled, although most of them were already getting their shirts back out. Kagome watched in disgust as some of them had to wring theirs out and a puddle formed underneath.  
  
"Do it."  
  
His voice was so stern within seconds every single man was fully clothed again. Even though everyone looked like they were swimming in their clothes and smelt kind of gross, Kagome had to mentally thank Inuyasha.  
  
"Enough fooling around. We're going now." He spun around and marched back to the front of the group, and instantly everyone piled after him – not forgetting to first shoot her an angry stare. "Hurry up."  
  
Kagome nodded and continued to follow them through the tangled forest, feeling something slightly uncomfortable creep into her stomach. Something she'd never felt before and it wasn't the extreme heat.  
  
She continued to climb over more fallen trees and branches, pushing through leaves and thorns, partially forgetting her earlier plan to escape.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm cold." One pirate whispered to another once the sun had set and the sky had darkened to a pitch black. "It was bloody hot today and now it's freezing. What's wrong with this island?"  
  
Kagome wrapped her tattered clothes more tightly around her as she trotted after them, feeling little warmth emitting from it. They had walked and walked and walked and walked nonstop since the shirt incident around noon, and now it was nighttime.  
  
Well, they had stopped ONCE for water, but Inuyasha insisted everyone got enough water to fit in one palm. That really sucked in her case.  
  
She groaned and rubbed her legs, her limbs feeling like they had massive rocks attached onto them, and she was starving, thirsty, and brutally tired. To top it off, Inuyasha didn't look a bit drained or fed up, he just continued to look around as if looking at shrubs helped find whatever he was looking for.  
  
Why wasn't anyone saying anything to Inuyasha? They pretty much deserved a rest break! And she wasn't about to continue walking all night in the freezing weather.  
  
She moved up to the front of the crowd and lightly tapped Inuyasha on the shoulder, barely with enough force to get him as angry as last time. "Um......... is it possible we stop now? I think everyone's tired, and........."  
  
"No." He blew off her comment and continued to walk forwards.  
  
"What do you mean, 'no'? I'm going to pass out in a freakin' second, and so is everyone else!" She pointed to the men staring at her like she was absolutely insane. The icy air was getting to her. "We don't have as much energy as you do, and we need to warm up so we don't freeze to death." She breathed into the cold night air. "Seriously."  
  
Suddenly, he reached forwards and grabbed her arm tightly before pulling her a little closer to him. Too close for her taste. "Listen girl, I've told you a billion times. Don't tell me what to fucking do."  
  
She held her breath as he stared at her intently. Kagome was far from terrified......... she was too used to being treated like this. "I'm not telling you what to do. I'm asking you to let us rest for the night because no one can move anymore."  
  
"My crew isn't that pathetic. We can go for a few more hours, right guys?" He looked over at his men, whom most were already parked on the ground. "Get up!"  
  
"We're not going to, Inuyasha." She challenged him with a glare and shoved his arm away. She sat down on the grass. "We're not going any more tonight."  
  
Kagome smiled with relief when she realised everyone was following her word- for-word, and for once they weren't following the captain's every whim. She felt surprisingly in control.  
  
"What the fuck are you guys doing? I said to get up!" He snarled angrily, waiting for his men to make a move.  
  
A small, bearded man who sat with the others meekly spoke up. "Inuyasha, sir. We all need to rest after that ten hour hike. This way we can have more energy for tomorrow......... right?"  
  
"That's right. And sir, we should build a fire now before it's too dark to find wood for the fire." Another man added.  
  
Inuyasha thought for a while with his chin in his hands, looking peeved because no one followed his command. Finally, he came to a decision. "Fine. But tomorrow we'll get up an hour earlier to leave."  
  
Everyone looked incredibly relieved. "Thank you, sir!"  
  
"Well, what are you all doing?" Inuyasha parked himself down on a bulky log in a clearing. "Go gather the firewood!"  
  
Within minutes a large fire had been started in the center of the clearing, and everyone had crowded around it like it was some sort of God. If it weren't for the fire, everyone would probably be slowly turning into ice cubes on this horrible island.  
  
"Kenji! Heiko!" Inuyasha called once he had settled down with a bottle of rum near the fire. "You two keep watch tonight. Everyone else, get to sleep!"  
  
So except for the two poor fellas who would lack sleep the next morning, everyone else leaned against something stable and dozed off. Even Inuyasha had his eyes closed and his breathing had slowed considerably.  
  
She stared at his weak appearance in the glow of the fire. It would be so easy now to sneak past those two idiots and into the forest for a quick escape, but a problem always resurfaced. Where would she go?  
  
A wolf's howl filled the night air and she shuddered quietly. If there was anything she hated more than pirates, it was being in the dark alone. Weird animals fell third on her list.  
  
That was it. She had to leave during the day......... her fear of the darkness and this jungle island wasn't going to allow her to gather enough courage to escape now.........  
  
'Wait until tomorrow.' She convinced herself tiredly and lay down on the hot ground warm from the fire, using her arm as a pillow. She sighed, there was absolutely no energy left in her body after that deadly ten-hour hike anyway.  
  
She continued planning ways to get away even as she shut her eyes and fell into a relaxing sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Birds chirped. The boiling sun streaked over her face. It was morning again.  
  
Kagome blinked once, then again, before remembering where she was and what had happened. It usually took her a while to bring back the memories of the past day.  
  
Her dream had been odd, she dreamed Inuyasha was wearing no shirt and chasing her around the first ship she was on with Shippou as a stick. She remembered screaming like crazy and running for Sango and Miroku, but no one came to help except a funny-faced Hojo. The dream ended with Inuyasha shoving honey cake down her throat. Odd.  
  
She rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up, feeling the heat of the sun enveloping her again. The weather on this island really stunk.  
  
Once she sat up and looked around, she felt something obviously different about the place she had fallen asleep at. The logs were still there, as well as the remainder of the fire, now nothing but mere ashes.  
  
Then the most obvious difference struck her in the face.  
  
She was the only person sitting in the clearing, not another person in sight. She was sitting there, all alone.  
  
Everyone was gone.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: I feel really evil right now. ^_^  
  
*~Sorena~* 


	8. Her Secret

AN: I'm so sorry this took so long to come out! To my reviewers still supporting this fic, thanks so much! There's some fluff in this chapter to make up for it......... somehow.  
  
**Pirate Pash  
  
Chapter 8 – Her Secret**  
  
..............................................................  
  
Kagome got up and straightened out the front of her filthy skirt, staring again at the empty air surrounding her. Not only had everyone fled, their belongings had fled right with them.  
  
The water and food supply was gone. Even the rum bottles had disappeared into thin air.  
  
This was in no way happening. Just yesterday she was banging her head in anger at the thought of never being able to escape. And now... well, her captives have escaped her.  
  
Kagome stepped forward, stumbling as she noticed the smooth sand surrounding her. She turned her head to see her own footprints, so deep in the sand even a baby could identify them. Oddly enough, hers were the only human prints in the hefty sandy area; the rest indeed belonged to those of animals. So how in the bloody hell did Inuyasha and his crew manage to get out of the area? Maybe they flew?  
  
She sighed and flopped to the ground in a meaningless attempt to think. The sun was shining at its' peak, the rays shooting right into her eyes and down her back, causing her to break out in a sweat. This heat alone would kill her if she failed to find any water soon.  
  
"Inuyasha..." She mumbled aloud to no one, feeling an odd sensation of loneliness. In fact, the only sounds her ears picked up were the winds and her bottom squirming uncomfortably against the ground. "Where did you go, you jerk?"  
  
She squeezed a handful of sand between her fingers, feeling the warmth of the granules run through them. She could run, for sure, but it was easier said than done. She was lost on this jungle of an island with nothing to show except the old clothing on her.  
  
'Anything's better than sitting around like this.' Her muscles hot and achy, she began walking, the heat of the sun tearing her up and draining her physically. She really needed to get under the shade of some trees.  
  
Luckily, ahead of her was the forest area, and the trees were casting a beautiful shade below. She managed to crawl into the shady area, breathing a sigh of relief when she escaped the heat rays of the sun.  
  
She was all alone now. And there were only two things she could think of doing: staying and waiting for someone to find her, or wandering around the island and attempting to get off it.  
  
The answer to that question was unquestionably easy.  
  
.........................................................  
  
"Oh, shit..."  
  
He awoke with a blinding headache, and it felt as if someone had just taken a tree trunk and brought it down on his skull. Where the hell was he? Had he been attacked by his crew members and thrown into a ditch somewhere alive? Or maybe he was just too damn hung-over to know the difference between sane and insane.  
  
Inuyasha rolled over and blinked open his heavy eyes. Brown dirt was what he saw. A few trees up ahead as well. "Where...?" He muttered, rubbing his sore head with his sandy hand. "Where the hell am I?"  
  
Not receiving an answer from any of his lazy crew members, he wheezed heavily and sat up on his own, barely supporting himself with one arm. Everything was one big blur.  
  
"Mi...Miroku? Sango!" He yelled with his eyes closed. The sunlight hurt his eyes. "Shippou! Goddamn it Hojo! Anyone?!"  
  
Groaning, his eyes cleared up as he finally got a good look at everything. No one was anywhere to be seen, and not only that, but he was in a completely different place than yesterday night.  
  
"This..." He slowly pieced the events of the night before. They had all been drinking and laughing like complete idiots., twirling and singing and hollering, until two guys got into a rumble that he stopped. Then that girl screamed something about not being able to sleep with all the noise...  
  
That reminded him. That woman. Where was she now? Did his crew abduct her? Did she escape from the island?  
  
"Kagome...you bitch." He snarled, despite the fact she probably had nothing to do with this. "Run away, why don't you?"  
  
He stomped around angrily, madly kicking sand around, flailing his arms in a sad attempt to look frustrated. He really was frustrated. He lets his guard down for one short night and what happens? His crew deserts him.  
  
But there was something he couldn't understand. Why didn't they kill him off instead of dropping him alone somewhere?  
  
He was distracted by the heat of the sun and lost his train of thought. Even he couldn't take much more of this weather, which reminded him – Miroku's crew was still around. He'd find them and together they'd hunt out those fucking backstabbers...  
  
He growled, snapping a thick, burly branch off a tree with one hand. "Wait 'til I get my hands on them......"  
  
.........................................................  
  
"I'm so......so......hungry........." Kagome plopped against another tree and glanced up, still no coconuts. Weren't there supposed to be coconuts on trees on deserted islands? There were on her island.  
  
She had been wandering around now for hours, feeling like she had been walking in stupid circles the entire time. She had to question exactly how the animals stayed alive on such a food-free island.  
  
"So hungry......" She mumbled again, trying to absorb some of the final warmth from the sun. If the weather was anything like yesterday, she would probably freeze to death.  
  
She needed to make a fire.  
  
Now that she thought about it, even if she managed to somehow scrounge up a mountain of wood, she would still have nothing to light it with. It would just be a lousy pile of dead tree.  
  
She sniffled quietly, pinching her nose from the cold. 'I shouldn't be complaining......Souta's probably in a lot more pain than me right now. Why am I so weak......'  
  
She couldn't stop thinking about her brother. Why? In a time of need like now she needed to worry about herself and herself only. But she couldn't do it...  
  
All of a sudden, a branch from behind snapped. She froze and looked behind her to see no one in sight. Feeling her stomach drop, Kagome stared carefully. Was it a bear? A fox? A lion?  
  
She crouched down slowly and wrapped her hands around a heavy rock by her foot. She wasn't stupid, she knew enough of the whole 'survival of the fittest' logic, and she wasn't about to let some stupid animal get to her first.  
  
Kagome listened carefully as the creature came towards her one step at a time. She could hear each leaf crackling as it advanced. 'So close...'  
  
She painfully bit her tongue and held the large rock back until she made out the exact location of the animal. A few more steps and she could make it out......  
  
The animal suddenly picked up its' pace, and Kagome swallowed heavily. And it wasn't long before the creature was a mere step away from her hiding spot behind the tree.  
  
"AHHHHH!" She swung terribly hard with both hands and released the weapon, praying it made contact with the creature.  
  
Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a deep groan from the animal and the rock colliding with it. Then suddenly, she felt something small peck her cheek.  
  
She brought her hand to her face, onto to stare back down at the red splotches lined on her fingers. A tiny white object was held between her unstable fingers.  
  
It was a tooth. A small human tooth.  
  
"Oh my god - " She dropped it instantly and stepped out from behind the tree. Lying on the ground in a heap wasn't the bear or wolf she had imagined ...... but rather the body of Kenji. The rock was lying right above his head, and his reddened face appeared distorted.  
  
She had hit Kenji with a thirty-pound rock right in the temple and across the face.  
  
The surprised girl inched forward, speechless, until she was next to the motionless pirate. Kagome kneeled down, making sure to keep her eyes locked anywhere but on the bloodbath across his face  
  
She shook as she brought two fingers to his twisted neck, patiently awaiting some sort of a pulse to emerge. Her stomach dropped even lower when she couldn't feel one – she pressed her fingers into his warm skin even harder.  
  
"No...... no......not again." She brought her face down to Kenji's unmoving chest, feeling an annoying sense of déjà vu. Yet when she tried to cry she couldn't.........there just wasn't anything in her that wanted to mourn for him.  
  
"I hate you." She whispered against his chest, feeling slightly guilty because somehow a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She scampered off Kenji's chest and dropped down next to him. "I was so afraid you were going to hurt me today......and now you're dead......"  
  
She should have realised talking to a corpse wasn't normal, but she didn't stop. "You know," she reached over and hesitantly wrapped her small hand around his larger one. "I didn't know where anyone had gone when I woke up this morning......... it was pretty scary. And just yesterday I was praying everyone would just disappear and get out of my life– not that I missed any of you guys, mind you, but the truth was that I was lost."  
  
Kagome chuckled and released her hand, suddenly sickened by the thought of touching him. "What am I doing talking to you? I bet you would love to sit up right now and strangle me until I choke," She backed up slightly and winced.  
  
She had killed him.  
  
The phrase sounded awkward on the tongue, but at the same time it gave her an odd sense of strength. She had already killed two men in the short time away from home. What would her family have thought of that?  
  
'Sango was right......' She ran her hands through her tangled hair and scrambled off the cold ground, continuing her slow walk. 'Crying about it would only make me feel worse about it.' Kagome looked over her shoulder one last time, the body of Kenji still laying there motionless. 'We all die someday.'  
  
As she looked up at the darkening sky, she couldn't help the uncontrollable tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
...............................................................  
  
Blood.  
  
And it was nearby.  
  
Inuyasha could smell it a mile away. He had an odd knack for picking up the scent of blood and locating it......... at first it was just disgusting and annoying, but over the years it had become a rather useful talent. Oddly enough, he didn't even know where this skill came from.  
  
'It'd better be food!' As he had come to realize, this island was void of anything edible. He sprinted towards the faint smell, hoping to see a dead hog lying on its back with its four feet up in the air.  
  
Leaping over high logs was an easy task right then for a hungry pirate.  
  
He ran for what felt like hours before the smell became a little stronger, his legs never stopping once to rest. Inuyasha withdrew his sword hurriedly as he ran, quite looking forward to slaughtering his prize.  
  
He almost stumbled over his sword when he saw his 'prize'.  
  
Inuyasha could not believe what he was seeing.........curled up on the ground like a dead rat was Kenji......... his face bleeding and battered-up. His head was resting in a pool of dark red.  
  
"Damnit! KENJI! What happened........." He immediately raced to him, all earlier thoughts forgotten. "Who the hell did this to you?!!" He turned the bleeding man onto his back and checked for a pulse. When he didn't find one, he checked for a breath, anything.  
  
Kenji was dead.  
  
"Who the fuck did this to you? I'll kill them!" He snarled, so outraged he could have choked anyone. "Kenji! TELL ME!" He was close to grabbing him by the collar and shaking him until he woke.  
  
Kenji – Kenji was one of the only guys he trusted on his team. Did his crew betray him and murder Kenji? They couldn't have...... Kenji got along with everyone. So how did he die......?  
  
He spotted a huge rock lying above his head, and then looked down at the dent on his temple. So that was how he died... some coward probably hid somewhere and threw it from behind a bush.  
  
"Bastards... I'll kill you!" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, extremely unpleased with the turn of events. He'd get his revenge for him......... Kenji always promised to do the same whenever he got hurt in battle. "Shit......... this shouldn't have happened." He mumbled, resting his head in his hand. Who did he know that would have a motive to kill Kenji?  
  
No one - that was who. Maybe he was killed by a savage group of Indians. But he was pretty sure no Indian would ever kill so tastelessly.  
  
Throwing a rock was almost.... foolish? No one with any real skill would do so...... he would even go as far as saying it was someone who was a plain coward.  
  
Whoever the bastard was, Inuyasha was going to get revenge for him. Make them die a gruelling death......  
  
Inuyasha dropped down to one knee, exhausted and frustrated. But he didn't get to rest long – out of the corner of his eye he saw something stand out in the darkness of the sky.  
  
Footprints were in the sand. And they were leading away from the body. Whoever had done this was obviously too thick to check the trail of sand prints they left behind.  
  
He smiled pleasantly. Checking out the prints, he saw that they were rather small feet. And the killer was alone.  
  
So it wasn't his crew who killed Kenji, he thought so... it was someone with relatively smaller feet. And smaller strides.  
  
He followed the steps carefully, studying everything about the way the murderer walked. He had very, very small feet...almost an unhealthy size for a man. He also walked with tiny steps, almost like a child.  
  
"Sick son of a bitch......" Inuyasha commented to himself, imagining a feminine man barely lifting the rock used to kill his friend. The thought greatly disturbed him.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped his inspecting.  
  
He had run into a long strand of hair resting innocently on the ground. Immediately, he swept it into the air and let it hang innocently before snapping it in half.  
  
It was long, silky, and black. Kind of like Kagome's.  
  
............................................................  
  
It was absolutely freezing. Kagome had completely forgotten about her desperately needed fire, and now it was close to complete darkness. She glanced up at the bright moon.........it was so pretty......... she used to look up at it all the time when she was young.  
  
'Mom, why does the moon follow me around?' She'd asked once to her mother. Her mother simply replied with, "it follows everyone, Kagome. It's so beautiful that everyone in the world can see it."  
  
She'd forgotten that. It felt like such a distant memory.  
  
Her parents died not long ago...and already she was losing important memories. Would she forget Souta soon too?  
  
She sighed and cradled down into a ball on the ground, shivering from the cold weather beginning to emerge. Without realising it, her knuckles had turned a ghastly shade of blue, and goosebumps were lined all the way up her arms.  
  
"I'm cold......" Kagome sniffled loudly and huddled underneath the tree, but it was no use. It was like trying to put on a piece of cloth for warmth in an ice storm. "So cold......"  
  
She watched her hot breath dissolve in the dark sky, and wished she was somewhere bubbling hot, kind of like inside a fire. That would be just fine with her.  
  
Kagome's legs had turned a ghastly shade of white, and she was certain the same had happened to the rest of her body. The trees were also dimming; she saw less of each branch as each minute slipped by. It could have been a minute; it could have been an hour. How was she to find out.  
  
Huddling even tighter against her skin, she cursed her stupidity again. Why did she not make a fire? Was she asking to die? She sniffled silently, but her nose was stuffed and frozen. "I'm tho thupd."  
  
It eventually got so cold, she found herself almost giving up. The wind was slicing into her exposed neck, face, hands, and legs, and her lips were so chapped it hurt to lick them. 'Is this... it this the end?' She would have sobbed, but her face felt as if it was frozen solid. 'Why... why didn't I stay on the boat when Inuyasha told me to?'  
  
She wasn't even thinking straight anymore because of the pain... those trees to her left were looking more and more like Sango and Miroku, and the one next to it looked strangely like Inuyasha. 'If he came......... I might even be a little happy. God, this has really gotten to me.'  
  
Strangely enough, the Inuyasha tree was coming closer, whilst the Sango and Miroku trees remained trees. "Hey there.........tree," She managed to mumble with a slight smile, the image blurring more and more by the second. "Come to laugh at me?"  
  
"Kagome......"  
  
She remembered trees didn't talk. And they definitely didn't call her by her name. "Yes?" She asked light-heartedly, her body so cold it was straining to force out anything..  
  
Then, she felt a pair of large, warm hands envelop around her small form, and right then she felt the warmth she had been missing. Not just the heat she needed at the moment, but the warmth she lost the instant her parents died. "Trees don't hug people.........do they?" She breathed tiredly.  
  
"Kagome – you fucking idiot! I can't believe you! Why the hell didn't you build a fire?!"" The voice snapped at her harshly.  
  
She smiled and returned the embrace, pressing her hands into his back, feeling little heat return to them. "Couldn't......" This tree person was so warm she never wanted to let go, no matter how mean he was being. "No fire......"  
  
"Stupid girl, where did you run off to last night?" He tightened his hold on her, surprised it was possible for anyone to be this cold and not pass out. "My god, you're freezing."  
  
"You're funny." Kagome mumbled against his solid chest. "I don't know how I got there."  
  
"Seriously."  
  
"I really don't know......but I'm so cold......can I stop talking for now?" She dug deeper against the folds of his shirt, breathing in the warm scent of him. Kagome had absolutely no clue whose shirt she was latching so tightly on to.  
  
And it was making him uncomfortable.  
  
The girl was grabbing on to him so tightly he could barely breathe, let alone see her. "Yea......" He was barely feeling the wind against his back anymore. All he could think about was the girl wrapped up in his arms.  
  
Inuyasha held a finger against her cheek, relaxing a bit when it no longer felt like ice. She was close to falling asleep underneath the stupid tree, which would have led to her death.  
  
Then he remembered something else. Just whose hair was it he found? Long, black, silky......that sick sonofabitch – he was probably smiling to himself right now at his win over his friend.  
  
The thought was pissing him so much he accidentally squeezed Kagome too tightly, stopping when he heard her low groan. "Sorry." He scooped down to rest his aching legs when he noticed something unusual about Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha raised his eyebrows and grabbed the hand resting by her side, trying to ignore the her breaths burning against his neck. He glared at her hand, but more importantly, the red stains along her fingers. A few tiny red spots......  
  
He didn't have to sniff her hand to know what it was. Blood was written all over it. But why the hell would Kagome have blood on her fingers? He checked for signs of cuts...... there was a little scrape, but that was all.  
  
"Psst. Kagome!" He whispered eagerly next to her ear. Her heartbeats were slowing down as she relaxed more completely against his chest. "Wake up."  
  
"Hmmm?" She mumbled absently. "Inuyasha?!" She opened her eyes and spotted it was the captain holding her so tightly against his chest. She blushed and shrieked before pushing away lightly, but he didn't look like he was planning to release her.  
  
"Why do you have blood on your fingers?"  
  
He felt her still jerkily in his arms, even more so than earlier. She paused. "Well?" He urged her further, feeling a tang of angriness. What exactly did she have to hide?  
  
"Nevermind." She replied quickly, still attempting to push away from him as she spoke. She seemed to have cured really fast. "It's a woman thing."  
  
Inuyasha choked, but didn't stop his questioning despite his embarrassment. "Kagome, I know it isn't......that. Tell me the truth." It was hard keeping the impatience out of his voice.  
  
"Why do you care?" She replied, looking away as she spoke. It was still just as cold out, but their conversation was heated enough to make them both forget about the weather. "You're the last person in the world I expected to care about this."  
  
He stuttered, "that doesn't mean I can't fucking know why you're injured!"  
  
Kagome would never tell him. She knew he would be steamed if he knew what she did. He may or may not have seen the body yet, but she knew Inuyasha thought of him and Kenji as buddies, despite what Kenji was planning to do. "No......... no, you can't."  
  
That comment struck a nerve. "Tell me, goddamn it!" He grabbed her tightly by the arms and shook- not enough to hurt her- but enough to snap some sense back into her.  
  
Inuyasha didn't understand. He had just saved her from freezing overnight and here she was fighting back over nothing.  
  
She pushed him away. "I'm not going to warm up to you. EVER." She hissed angrily, obviously still feeling the effects of the shake. "Don't think you saving me this one time will qualify as my sharing secrets with you! You kidnapped me from me family, and now you demand to know about me?" She spat back. "I regret even touching you in the first place!"  
  
"Touch me?" Inuyasha pointed at himself in anger. "You're the one who pounced on me the second I walked next to you!"  
  
"That's not true! I was going to freeze!"  
  
"Well, that's just too damn bad, isn't it?" He sneered, already getting up to his feet. "If you don't want to tell me why you're bleeding, that's fine with me! But I don't want some stupid girl annoying one second, bitchy the next, to be ungrateful for what I just did!" He paused. "Do you know how many people I save? Ever?"  
  
"A lot?" She gazed with questioning eyes.  
  
"Next to never. I don't save people, Kagome. It's not my style." He stared her straight in the eyes. "So you'd better appreciate my concern this time because you won't see it again."  
  
Inuyasha spun around and walked away.  
  
"Oh no." Kagome answered sarcastically as his figure disappeared into the trees; she was a little disappointed now at the loss of body heat. She hated to admit it, but she missed his strong chest pressed up against hers. He gave her a sense of comfort that she hadn't felt in ages, and she regretted letting her anger take her away in their argument.  
  
But she could never cross the line from 'hate' to 'tolerate' with him, with anyone. It would be another stab in the back to her dead parents. She really had to stop getting along with these man-murdering pirates. She couldn't keep doing this...... she couldn't......because they all deserved to die......  
  
So how come she felt dead inside when Inuyasha's smell started to fade away?  
  
It couldn't be...  
  
She was getting attached to him......  
  
..................................................................  
  
AN: Yikes! 


	9. Confusion

Pirate Pash

Chapter 9 – Confusion

............................................................................

He had to get rid of the girl. He was well aware - probably even more so than his crew - that keeping the woman around was only useful if you wanted to hear her constantly whining and screaming about everything.

And he was sure nobody wanted to hear that every second of their life.

Inuyasha sighed as his large foot snapped another stick on the ground. Surprisingly, he didn't find the weather that cold....maybe just a bit nippy....his mind was completely focused on the topic of Kagome. The old him would have killed her without a whim, if not worse, so what was keeping him from doing so?

He sure would have never embraced her like he just did, but it was more of a life saving technique then a hug. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice in his head. 'You're lying again......' he convinced himself silently, 'you wanted to hug her, and touch her silky hair, and her soft arms......'

"Fuck no!" He yelled to no one in particular, the only response he received came from the crickets in the darkness. 'I've never talked to myself like this before....this cannot be healthy.'

'Maybe you can't bear the fact that you find yourself attached to this girl, and you ran away from her just now because you were worried of doing something- else –to her? Pathetic.' If this conscience were a person, Inuyasha would have beaten the crap out of him already.

"I don't like Kagome." He snapped again. "She's a pig-headed cow who doesn't understand anything."

The voice stopped for a moment before resuming. 'Is that so? Well, then maybe it's because she stunningly resembles your old girlfriend? Why else would you be keeping her around like this? You know better than all your crew that women are bad luck.'

"I don't like her...." He repeated. "But she's so different from any other girl I've ever met. Stubborn woman." He snorted at his idiocy. If anyone heard him talking to himself like this he'd sooner be strung by the neck.

Inuyasha's breath hitched suddenly and he stopped dead in his tracks when a soft voice called out. He froze. 'Am I hearing things?' He snapped his head around to await a second call, but it never came.

'I AM hearing things. My hearing's too good to miss something like that...' The pirate flattered himself, continuing to pick up the pace he slowed down seconds ago. That girl was strong enough to hold it out if anything happened to her, and she seemed feisty enough a few minutes ago when he asked about the weird blood on her fingers.

Just thinking about that was enough to trigger his anger again. Now why didn't she just - ?

"Inuyasha......? Are you still there?"

There it was.

A sound so pathetically desperate it brought a silly grin to his face. He remained silent to see if she would continue.

"Can you...hear me? I know you can." Her voice was a little raspy, but not enough to move Inuyasha from his position. He was enjoying her sad attempt to call him back too much. "I'm not going to....apologize but I'm going to please ask you to stay....with me...."

Something was beating rapidly at his chest, and it took him a while to figure out it was his heart. The way Kagome begged him made his blood boil in a good way...

"Inuyas.....are you there? Don't leave yet......." Her voice whimpered a little, and he was straining to pick up the last of her words. What he did manage to pick up were the quiet sniffling sounds she was making. Oh no.... shit.

"Oi, Kagome! Did I say you could cry?" He found himself kneeling before the sitting girl almost immediately. God he hated that sound! The cries, the whimpers, the sniffles....how could anyone make such a feeble sound?

"You....you're....you didn't leave?" She watched him behind watery eyes, but she quickly wiped it away with the back of her sleeve in embarrassment. There was no way she'd let him know just how frightened she was after he left. It had been sparked by a rustling in the leaves to her right. "But you said...."

"I know. I was going to leave. But I can't have my prisoner running away from me now, can I?" He smirked, but she didn't return it. "Keh! What's wrong with your face?"

She was frowning again. "Inuyasha....I...." She lowered her gaze to her feet. "I can't...." All of a sudden she had an urge to tell him about her run-in Kenji, but she worried more about her own safety then the truth of the situation.

At first Kagome had planned to keep it a secret from him, but seeing as he did come back for her....well, the least she could do was let him know.

The goose bumps on her arms disagreed with her.

'But would he hurt me if he knew?' She gulped silently. Would he get so angry he would strangle her until she inhaled her last breath? He definitely had the strength to do so, not to mention he HAD done it before.....she was confused....

"You look kinda sick." He stared at her seriously. Her face had turned a ghastly shade of white. "What can't you do?"

The young woman swallowed and calmed herself down. "Nothing. It's....nothing. I can't stay out in the cold for this long." She managed a weak smile, but ended up making a pained expression. She really was freezing, and if she stayed out here for much longer she wasn't sure what would happen to her.

He looked around. "There aren't any caves around here for us to hide in, but if we dig deeper into the bushes we should block out some wind." Saying this, he pushed past some bushes behind the tree she was leaning up against.

Kagome could feel the bushes brush along her back. She painfully turned her head to see a small clearing surrounded by leaves. Inuyasha seemed pleased enough. "This is good."

She groaned when she felt his hands drag her by her underarms into the bushes. Not only was it extremely uncomfortable, but it spiked a pain in her back when he dragged her over some loose pebbles and snapped branches.

The captain obviously hadn't learned how to make a girl feel like a queen.

He plopped down into a cross-legged position once he set her down. "See? It's not so cold in here."

It felt exactly the same, to say the least. Kagome crawled weakly to lean against some branches, not caring what bugs could have been infesting in it. "It's still pretty cold....in here. There's just a bit less wind."

He swore to himself at her last comment. 'Bitch! What am I? A servant that makes sure you aren't the least bit cold?' He stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of her sneezing and shuddering.

He sighed. 'What the hell am I supposed to do when she acts like that?'

Inuyasha felt a bead of sweat drop down his forehead even in the cold weather. Kikyou never got sick, so he never had to learn how to take care of a female. Sure, he knew they were weaker then men, but he had no idea how much weaker. Were their bodies functioned differently?

He'd noticed girls tended to scream more even when he used little force.... His touches weren't always that painful...

Sighing at his weakness, he pulled the outer layer of his clothing off and slipped it off his arms before draping it over her shoulders. He may have been a mean, annoying hardass most of the time, but he still had some chivalry left in him.

...............................................................................................

'This is still the same, why did I bother making myself sound pathetic by calling him back?' Kagome kicked herself mentally for her stupidity before she felt something slip onto her shoulders.

It instantly brought some warmth back into her tingling nerves. She gazed down at the large extra layer wrapped around her smaller body. 'What is this.....? His clothing?'

She turned back around to see he was wearing a thin white layer underneath, and the fabric was so thin she could practically make out every line of his chest. He caught her stare and shot her a 'just try to keep staring' look before she turned away with her face hot.

Great, now she was making this situation even more awkward than it already was. 'Stuck in the bushes with this jerk acting like a nice guy.....what a nightmare.'

She tore the new fabric off her despite the difference in warmth and threw it back at him a little harsher then she intended. "I'm fine. Keep it."

He raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "I thought you were freezing to death."

"I was....but you keep your clothes. I don't want to have your crew beating me up for getting their captain sick." She mumbled absently and smiled despite the gust of wind that sent her shuddering all over again. 'What is the matter with me? I should have kept the jacket.'

His face curled in disgust. "Listen, girl. You either put on the clothes or I'll force them on you. And that is a threat." He stared her down and threw his clothing back in her face. After all he had gone through to give it to her she turns it down?

She felt an uncomfortable squirm inside at the thought of Inuyasha forcing her down to dress her. The image was scaring her more than the captain's angry glare. "I'm really okay Inuyasha....."

He scoffed and turned away. "Then why did you want me to stay?"

She spun away slowly. She really didn't know what forced her to call out those embarrassing words to him. It had been a last second decision when she realised she was scared to be left in the dark alone for the rest of the night. "I....I didn't want to be alone right now...." She stopped to think over her words. "But - but that's not implying anything!"

"Uh huh." He already looked bored with the topic. "Just shut up and put on the shirt. I can see your perked nipples all the way over here."

She squealed and looked down to find he was right. Her face returned some of its heat as she wrapped her arms tightly around her chest. "You....you...DISGUSTING PIRATE!!! Your language towards a woman couldn't be more vulgar!" How dare he just point out some thing like that!

"I was just telling you what I saw." He smirked at the thought of her getting so embarrassed over something like that.

"Even if you saw it you didn't have to say anything about it!" She snapped angrily, still terribly embarrassed to have a man see something so private for a woman.

"Keh! Get over it and put on the shirt."

She was about to snarl something back at him, but stopped when she realised it would help to cover what he saw. Kagome grabbed the fabric between her fingers and wrapped herself tightly inside the warmer shell.

She took in a deep breath."....thanks."

He snorted. "Don't pass out on me again. The next time I might not bother saving you. And then I'll leave you out in the cold to rot".

"Of course that's assuming it doesn't happen to you first." She whispered to let less air enter her mouth. "Aren't you cold?"

"What the hell are you whispering for? It's not like anyone's listening in on us."

"I don't know." She continued to whisper. "I don't like the feeling of this island. Completely short of food and water, and the weather is too strange. Did we ever figure out why everyone scattered out overnight?"

"Who knows?" She was right. That was weird. Why the hell had everyone disappeared to another part of the island overnight? "What about to play it safe we hold onto each other and see if we separate in the morning?" He grinned as he awaited her screams and wails.

It came as quite the shock to Inuyasha when she slowly lowered her head.

"Yeah....I think you're right. It wouldn't help to lose each other in the morning." The way she said it seemed like hugging a guy to sleep was perfectly normal for a girl like her.

Kagome smiled at the shocked expression on his face. The way he had touched her back at the tree...it felt like he really wanted to revive her...bring her back. And she realised right away that he didn't despise her. She felt all that in one touch.

But she couldn't say she hated him. She had thought earlier when he had left that she was getting attached to him...but maybe....just maybe...that was a good thing.

All she had to do was crawl her way into Inuyasha's fragile heart. He had lost a girlfriend that looked just like her before, right? That would explain the threatening, the nails, and the strangling when he first saw her. So if she could manage a way for him to fall for her emotionally, it might be possible that she could convince him to let her visit her home again.

But the problem was, how was a girl like her, who blushed like a cherry every time she saw a man's bare chest, supposed to make some obnoxious idiot fall for her? She never really had a mom, or any girl friends, so no one ever taught her how to be a woman to begin with. And seducing a man?

She cringed. Her freedom was all in her hands now.

"Kagome, did you just say...?"

"Yes. We should hold each other to sleep. It's also a good way to preserve the little body heat that we have." She smiled when he flinched noticeably.

"Body heat?" He asked, dumbfounded. Maybe his little joke had gone too far....

Kagome stared in amazement as even the great pirate got all squeamish in his seat. She had never realised how much power a woman had over a man when she put her heart into it. Maybe she should share the advice with Sango.

"Here. Let me do it." She made sure to keep her bloodied hand out of his view, glad he didn't bring it up again when he returned. She breathed warmly. "Just think of it as a way to stay alive.... Captain."

Suddenly it didn't feel so cold for Inuyasha. What was wrong with Kagome? Was she trying to seduce him in some sexy as hell way, or was she simply trying to gain body heat? He didn't like some of the feelings she was evoking....mostly in his lower region.

He growled when he remembered Kikyou never acted like this....it was always him pressuring her. So nervousness was an understatement for the pirate.

The smaller woman reached over and wrapped her long arms around his chest, making sure to take her sweet time. She was probably even more frightened then he was....what if he saw right through her game? Was she acting womanly enough for him?

He couldn't hold back the primal groan that emerged when her entire upper body rested against his chest, Kagome on her knees because she didn't know where to place her outstretched legs.

Both of them were trembling from the heat of the situation. They had been alone for a short while and already they had hugged twice....what was next? Inuyasha really wanted to know.

Kagome, on the other hand, was almost sweating from everything. Inuyasha had stilled completely in her arms, and all she could hear was his deep breathing next to her ear. She really didn't know what she was doing anymore....she didn't want to do this with him, even if she knew this plan had a chance of working.

She was tempting the pirate.... And acting like a completely different Kagome. Every nerve in her body tingled with a mix of excite and guilt.

Before she could find herself relaxing into the hug, something interrupted her.

'Kagome, stop this! You're siding with our enemy!' She heard the tiny buzz in her head when she felt Inuyasha slide his arms around her waist to hold her still. 'Don't forget who you hate most in life! You're on the first step to shaming us all. Your family. Myouga. Your island. The only thing you did right was kill Kenji.'

Who was this voice in her head? 'Forget Kenji....this is all a plan to get the captain to fall for me....and then I'll – I'll make him bring me home....and then I'll get the navy after them.'

The voice was mocking her. 'The Navy? Don't kid yourself, Kagome. You would never call on them because you've already attached yourself to Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo....'

Kagome stopped. 'Who is this in my head?'

'Stop before you go too far, Kagome. Don't make the mistake of attaching yourself to a pirate. You'll soil yourself forever....'

'Who - ?' She was cut off when the voice faded away.

"Kagome? Are you okay? You seem kind of nervous." Inuyasha asked, having already warmed himself against the timid girl. He was surprised when she pushed herself away slightly and stared at his face.

Kagome looked carefully at his eyes, his nose, his mouth, every single feature on his face. He really was quite handsome. Nothing like the tales of pirates you heard of in villages. "Inuyasha...."

"What's wrong?" He said a little too abruptly.

She breathed a puff of hot air. "I.... I have to tell you something." She couldn't believe she was doing this. But the guilt was eating her alive.... "But you have to promise me you won't get mad."

He stared at her for a while before nodding.

"Promise?" She asked him again.

"Yeah. Now tell me."

She squirmed from his grasp and sighed when she felt the loss of heat. 'Better to stay further away from him before I tell him.....' Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and blurted it out.

"I killed Kenji."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Inuyasha? I - " She slowly looked up at him to see a blank expression on his usually stern face. Kagome frowned. "I know you're angry with me but I didn't mean to do it... I thought he was an animal and I attacked but I accidentally hit him in the head but it was all an accident. I would never kill him on purpose!"

He backed up quickly and stared her down. "What?"

"Inuyasha, I didn't mean to do it, I swear! But the guilt was killing me so I wanted to tell you the truth." She calmed herself down by plopping into a useless heap on the ground. "I thought you would want to know the truth...."

He snarled. "So the blood.....the hair....it was all you?! His killer was before my eyes the entire fucking time? I can't believe this!"

"You promised not to get angry! I told you I didn't mean to do it!"

The captain stomped forward and stopped inches from her face. "How can I not get angry? I just found out of all the idiots aboard, YOU killed my friend. How the hell do you expect me to react? Do you want me to laugh about it?"

She whispered. "That would be better than this...."

"Oh, just shut your mouth, Kagome! Look what you've done now!" He lowered his face into his hand.

"Weren't you the one that told me people died all the time and crying about it would never do a thing? Well, look at you now!"

"It's different with Kenji! He was my friend! My comrade! He was like a brother to me! And you killed him because you thought he was an animal? Anyone would deserve a better death than that!" He screamed at her, unable to hold in his anger towards her. "Sometimes I don't know what to do with you, bitch!"

She stood up suddenly. "You know what? I'm not a bit sorry for what I did! Kenji and his asshole friend Jio can both go to hell – they threatened to kill me earlier because I overheard them putting you down! They said if I told you they would drag me down with them....but I don't give a rat's ass anymore what happens to me! You know why? Because nothing could be worse then being yelled at by you ALL THE TIME!"

She breathed heavily, falling back down on the cold ground. Her brilliant plan to seduce the captain was not going well... it was just too hard to keep from getting angry with him.

"Wha – ? What did they say about me?"

Kagome folded her hands together. "They said you weren't going to share the treasure with them once you found it....and that you would give them nothing in exchange for their loyalty."

He blinked. "Is that all?"

She blushed and turned away. She whispered. "And that....you were whoring it up with a human bitch." She spat like venom on her tongue. "...me..."

Inuyasha glared at the embarassed girl for a moment before sitting back down. He surprised her suddenly by reaching over and wrapping his stronger arms around her body. She quivered when she felt his chin rest on her unsteady shoulder.

"Inuyasha? Wha-?"

He closed his eyes. "Shut up and go to sleep. We'll fight in the morning."

She was surprised...but not completely unpleased. She was tired....and now she was warm....if she saw him in the morning, she would have to remember to scream at him some more and then maybe....just maybe....

She would continue with her plan.

.......................................................................................

AN: Hope you guys liked the chapter. I know it may seem like their relationship is moving too fast, but in that life and death situation where they're stuck and have to depend on each other...they're likely to get along just a bit better. And Kagome still doesn't really like him, she might not ever like him because of the way he acts. But for now, she's going to try and make him fall for her to let her go home.

Please review and let me know what you think!


	10. Cowardly Men

AN: Long chapter as a sorry for my long update. This chapter was really fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy it.

**Pirate Pash**

**Chapter 10 – Cowardly Men**

* * *

She couldn't quite describe herself anymore.

She was a woman, that was for sure. But just how womanly was she? And her hair – was, well black. But it was messy and she couldn't remember the last time she actually tamed the stray hairs. Her outfit was beginning to tear and rip, not to mention the numerous mud stains barely qualified for it to be called an "outfit".

All of these thoughts danced around Kagome's head until she felt a burning sensation on her back.

"Wha - ?" She was already tiring of the way she woke up all the time. The strong sun of the island burned a specific area on her back and she had to force herself to roll over into the shade.

Although it didn't make too much of a difference, Kagome relaxed and tried to ignore the hunger pangs now throbbing in her stomach. She was slightly dehydrated and seriously starving, and she had little energy left in the murderous heat.

It wasn't the starvation that exasperated her, because she was almost used to having no rations for days. It was her frail throat drying out like the pebbles lying near her. She found herself struggling to breathe through her mouth, because her nose was still stuffy from last night...

Kagome's face burned up even more when she recalled last night. 'I can't believe I tried that... what was my problem?'

She coughed suddenly and winced from her position on the ground. She really did look pitiful, curled up and sick on some random beach. It seemed like something had screwed with her once again, because she just realized she was on a different part of the island – alone.

"I've had enough..." The woman wheezed and crawled up, leaning her forehead against her arm to keep from collapsing. The overwhelming throbbing from every angle was becoming unbearable. "I might just die here."

She really believed herself. If she had just placed her head back down right then and fallen asleep, she knew she would've done so and never woken up. Before long the heat would've gotten to her and kept her from recovering. And no one would recognize the fried body on the shore.

She was just a nobody. She was poor, unknown, and connected to pirates. The last point made her irrelevant in every villager's eyes.

The sheer sadness of it all made her cry. She didn't want to be lying here like some lump anymore, and she didn't want to do this. Why did such a heavy responsibility have to be thrown on her shoulders the night her parents died? And now this? God was truly unfair to her.

Kagome sobbed faintly to herself and she watched her tears stain the sand. Even her tears were limited because of the dehydration occurring in her body. "Someone...h-help me..."

Of course, as expected, no one came to her aid. The only sounds that rang in her ears were the ones of seagulls and waves crashing loudly against the jagged rocks.

Waves? Jagged Rocks?

Kagome somehow found the energy to look around and spotted the ocean she failed to notice, shining beautifully in all its glory. The water was crystal blue, and the waves glittered when they hit the shore.

She didn't know why she didn't think of this before! The ocean was cold, and even if it didn't fill her up it would cool her down. She couldn't imagine something nicer than soaking her body in icy cold water...

Shakily, she stood up and toddled over, still a fair distance from the actual water. On the way down, she immediately stripped herself of her clothes, feeling no awkwardness at the moment, and prepared to sink her toes into the Atlantic Ocean.

"Ahhhh..." Kagome sighed when her foot first made contact with the cool liquid. "It feels so good." She picked up some water between her hands and splashed it on her burning face. It cooled down immediately.

Before long, she swam around a deeper area, wearing no more of her constricting rags. Her body had forced itself to let her enjoy this, and she wasn't going to crumble like she did on the beach.

She hummed and splashed some water around, feeling a sense of loneliness. She was missing something. Kagome wanted to splash water on other people, and have them chase after her to do the same. She also wanted her ideal husband to take her swimming, where she would sink his head into the water and they would cackle at it afterwards.

Those were only some of her silent fantasies. She stared down at her pruning fingers, 'Why did I never have any friends? Was I that repulsive? Or boring?'

Deciding the dip was long enough; she swam to shore, but cried out when suddenly something punctured her left ankle. It felt as if a sharp rock had struck her in the shins, but when she hopped to shore on one leg to take a closer look, she saw that she was wrong.

Her injury was a bite of some sort. It was an animal bite from a terribly sharp-toothed fish that had taken a nasty chunk out of her ankle.

Kagome cringed when she saw her flesh disconnected from her foot and the massive blood flow flowing onto the ground. What was she going to do? There were no supplies anywhere, and if she stayed much longer she was going to lose enough blood to faint.

She laid back and held onto her ankle as she made a shriek that cleared the trees of birds. The stabs at her were getting worse and this had to top the list.

Having a huge area of her body eaten off was not something she had wanted to experience.

She closed her eyes and bit her lips, trying to block out at least some of the hurt she was feeling. Everything felt tingly and it stung so bad...

"Who... why, is that Miss Kagome?"

The girl shot her head back and almost cried out in pleasure when she spotted a man running out of the trees and towards her, and it took her only seconds to realize Miroku had found her.

Naked.

She screamed suddenly and tried to hide at least some of her modesty by shielding herself with her hands. But it didn't prove to work because they always found their way back to her ankle.

"Ow...Miroku, please tell me it's not you." She said humorously when he stopped behind her. "I can feel your stare digging into my back..."

Of all the men to run up to help her, she couldn't name a less preferred one. Except maybe Manten or Jio. And Inuyasha.

"Miss Kagome, your ankle..."

"I'm fine," she ground out, her face scrunching up before she muttered, "can you...can you just grab my clothes please?"

"But we should surely clean out that wound before it's infected, and - " He said sincerely, Kagome not hearing any leering in his voice.

"Get my clothes." She demanded this time.

"Of course." Kagome sighed when she heard his feet running over to retrieve her clothes. He came back and helped her into them, and she was astonished to find his eyes didn't stray away once.

"Where's Sango and the others?" She asked when he took a closer look at her injury. The blood had slowed a little, but the tear in tissue and muscle was still pretty bad.

"Hm? Oh, they disappeared the first night." Miroku regarded, his fingers on his chin in thought. "Couldn't find them in the morning. I was thrown into some cave somewhere and it was impossible to get out."

"You too? So everyone got separated on this island?"

"I believe so. Excuse me - " He quickly tore off a tiny strip of her white blouse to get to the job at hand. He wiped away the pieces of sand and applied pressure to her wound.

Kagome screeched when he touched it. It felt as it the whole world came crashing down – onto her ankle.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kagome. But I must carry you now. I'll help you find a place to rest and we'll find the boat." He scooped her up behind her back and knees and toddled over to where he came from.

"How...how do you have so much energy? Did you have food?" She croaked out.

He stared down at her and smiled. "I was blessed. This morning I woke up and I found a small pool of rainwater in a hole in the ground. Not to mention I found you when I heard you scream. There is hope."

Even with this, she could tell he was exhausted and hungry. His hair was tangled and his grip on her was loose. "Miroku, are you sure you're okay?"

He began to walk a little slower now as he grinned. "Do you care about me so much, Miss Kagome? You know, I would definitely consider you much more if it were not for my precious Sango."

"That's not what I - "

She was cut off by something running dangerously close to her backside. And when his hand rubbed against her bottom, she slapped him and instantly both of them fell to the ground in a heap.

Kagome whined because her ankle had smashed into the dirt, and Miroku whined because his cheek was stinging from her slap.

* * *

Some time during her long travel on Miroku's back, Kagome's eyes had shut on her and she had fallen asleep, resting her head against his sturdy shoulder. She was surprised he didn't let her down once, because she knew she wasn't a light girl. That and he hadn't eaten for two days.

She opened her eyes and blinked. Judging by the sun, they must have been trudging the forest paths for three hours by now. "Miroku...it's okay. I can walk myself."

"I'm afraid you can't. If you strain that foot anymore you may lose it forever. And you do not want to have us chop that foot off."

She never spoke of it again.

They were still continuing along the road at a good speed when all of a sudden a deep voice rang out ahead of them. Someone else was here. "WHO GOES THERE?"

"We mean no harm. We simply need to cross through this path." Miroku insisted lightly. But Kagome felt him tense up by the feel of his stiff shoulders.

"State your purpose for needing to cross!" Another voice called out. So there was more than one of them? "Do you have rations on you?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I do have an injured woman who needs to be tended to straight away to avoid losing her foot." He spoke truthfully.

Kagome gulped. The soreness had died down somewhat but now she was just worried about what would happen to her foot. If she lost something that important, she would definitely not be able to last long.

"We don't believe you!" The voices, now clear there were more than two, called out. "Come closer so we can see you are telling the truth!"

"Gentlemen, I must object to that." Miroku said and backed up slowly. "If you must see to it I tell the truth, you may walk up to us."

Miroku was clever. She would've walked right into them.

"Don't trust us, huh? Chap?" A man started to laugh a loud laugh. He clapped his large hands together. "Smart guy. I applaud your smarts."

They emerged from the darkness, all five of them, their eyes piercing into the man with the girl on his back. However, their worries disappeared when the men's faces came into clear view.

"Miroku? IS THAT YOU?" The men said at once, and Kagome recognized their faces from the crew on the boat. These were the type of guys that didn't stand out, because there were at least four others on the ship that looked exactly like them.

They were what she liked to call 'the rugged, bearded types'. The ones Kagome heard of in the tales everyone told her when she was younger, and the ones she imagined whenever she heard the word 'pirate'. Oddly enough, she found these guys probably the sanest aboard.

"Guys! You're alright!" Miroku shuffled forwards and did this manly hand gesture with each of them, before grinning. "You guys all met up?"

Their faces paled immediately and one man scratched his neck. "Miroku...we met up with a few others a while back and they're...they're in fucking trouble."

"Who? Tell me what happened!" He demanded, in such a rush he accidentally dropped her onto the ground. She yelped when her back collided with something hard, but he didn't seem to notice. "Hurry up!"

Kagome picked herself up in time to see Miroku rush forwards. "Are they okay? Why are you men here?"

"We...we met up with Inuyasha, Hiten, Manten, Shippou and a few others a while back. And we were..." He paused to rephrase his words. "we were all looking for the ship when thi- this THING attacked us. I don't know if it was an animal but - "

"It was a youkai!" Another man filled in. "It was half the size of our ship and it had these massive teeth... Inuyasha attacked it right away but was flung back..."

Kagome gulped and crawled back onto her feet. "Is he okay?"

Miroku raised his hand to shut her up and asked in a patient tone. "Where are they? Tell me exactly where they are. Now."

One chunky man looked frightened of the noticeably smaller Miroku, "They're quite far away. We were all fighting it but we had to get away. It was going to kill u - "

He was interrupted by the fifth man. "Oh yea, and that woman was there. What was her name...Sango!"

Miroku was gone before they could mutter another word, the only evidence of his departure was Kagome, who was now leaning against a tree and facing a large group of these guys. She would have run after Miroku had it not been for her leg. "Ummm..."

"We're not going to hurt you." One of them looked disgusted and sat down. He looked more worried about his own health than hers.

The other guy stared at him nervously. "You think Miroku and Inuyasha are going to punish us for this? Running away in battle?"

"Definitely. It's in the code. 'Those who escape battle for cowardly and unmanly reasons will suffer a punishment bestowed upon by the captain." Someone memorized as he also sank onto the ground.

"Shit. Inuyasha's going to have our asses for this. But that youkai was insane. I would've never gone back if you dragged me."

"And if Inuyasha's having his ass kicked, then you know we won't be of much use." The first guy said solemnly before sinking his face into his large hands. This was the most nervous she had ever seen these pirates of Inuyasha.

"Are they okay?" She repeated her question, and her light voice surprised them. Some of them hadn't even realised she was there.

"You? Inuyasha's wench? What are you doing here?" One guy snarled at her, while the others just looked on bored.

She stiffened at their rude comment but didn't back down. "I just wanted to know if they were okay. But I am not his 'wench' or whatever the hell else you guys call me. Inuyasha and I have absolutely nothing going on."

'Then what were you trying to do last night?' Her mind taunted her, and she wanted to hit something.

He sounded disbelieving. "They're injured. But they're all right. Our captain's injuries must be the worst because he's the one striking the most blows to that thing."

"Really? But he should be alive, right?" Why she was asking this was beyond her.

"Girl, you should leave now." One of them came up behind her and stopped. "Staying on this ship will bring no good luck to you at all and what we're looking for isn't something innocent. So run away before you're brought back on board."

'Hey, good idea. Why didn't I think of it earlier?' She gave him a dismayed look.

"Hey, are you fucking crazy? Don't tell her to run! Inuyasha will slaughter us for sure!" His friend yelled at him, shooting an evil glare over at her. "We might get out of this alive now if we just listen to him!"

"Listen to Inuyasha? What does he ever do but scream at us? He doesn't know shit about piracy, or being captain." A guy she hadn't heard speak yet spoke from behind a tree, his arms folded across his chest. "He's just some little slave boy who sucked up to the captain and then killed him off. In my opinion, he's nothing but a filthy backstabber."

Inuyasha was a slave? She never knew that... and he killed his captain? She had never heard of any of these things.

"Hey, shut up! She's here." He motioned towards Kagome, who was still leaning against the same tree. "She might talk."

"Me?" She pointed to herself innocently and then shook her hands in front of her face. It took her a while to realise she was the only 'she' around. "Oh no. I have no reason to tell Inuyasha anything. I told you, I'm just his prisoner... I wouldn't say anything about you guys, ever. I swear it."

"Who cares? We're going to die anyway." One guy said nonchalantly, kicking a branch by his foot into a bush. "Damn."

"Don't be like that." She said quietly, hopping forwards on her right foot and almost tripping. "I'm sure Inuyasha will forgive you guys. I mean, he's not as awful as you guys make him out to be."

He stared at her straight in the eyes, challenging her. "Little lady, we have every right to say the things we say about our captain. I've been pirating for twenty years now, and I've seen my share of captains come and go. But by far Inuyasha has to be the harshest one."

The others nodded in agreement. "You should have seen him throwing a man overboard once. That's actually not so bad for what he does to some of us."

Another man pointed out, "Oh, and never EVER steal more food than you're given. He hates that the most. That and betrayal to the captain."

Kagome smiled innocently and thanked the gods he never caught her all those times in the act. "What exactly does Inuyasha do to these people?"

"It's not right for a lady to hear, but believe me; you'll see it when it happens. And it's probably going to happen to us soon." He mentioned silently, his head drooping as he remembered everything. "You wouldn't believe it."

"Why don't you guys run away?" She asked, actually finding herself worrying for these guys. "I mean, he can't find you if you all run away and hide."

"He can." A guy fiddled with his fingers. "He has this amazing sense of smell. And he can run incredibly fast. We'd never get away on this island."

"Not to mention if we ran away even more it would definitely mean death for all of us."

Kagome felt her stomach clench. How come she hadn't seen the completely devilish Inuyasha they described? Sure, he had thrown that guy overboard once, but that wasn't that huge of a deal. Was there another side of him she hadn't seen before? "I won't let him do that to you guys."

They all stared at her with confused expressions on their faces. "What do you mean, girl? You'd never be able to tell our captain what to do or not do! And if the crew heard of it they would definitely vote for a new captain."

"Well, I'll still try to do something." She reassured, plopping down onto the ground because she was tired of standing unbalanced. "I want to help."

They sat in silence for a while before another sound was heard. "You know, she's not as bad as everyone says she is." A guy commented to another, and she found herself growling. He must have assumed she couldn't hear him.

"What do they say about me?" She asked curiously, only to receive silence from the five men. "HEY!"

* * *

Another bite of the youkai into his upper right shoulder sent his vision for a spin. This creature was quick, agile, and vicious. Harder to fight than any other pirate he'd ever met. And that was saying a lot.

Inuyasha took another swing of his heavy sword only to have it miss. "Shit!" He was too slow because within seconds the huge yellow tail had swung out and batted him into a tree. His back smashed against the wood and he slithered to the ground.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Miroku called out from below. He had shown up out of nowhere to help, but his aid wasn't too helpful. Hiten and Manten were already knocked to the side, and Sango was barely holding on with the bruises and scabs covering her body.

'Damn wusses run away before the fight...' He cursed the men who escaped when they spotted this thing. 'I have to show them what it means to run away during battle.'

He snarled and took another lunge at the creature, cringing when another cut tore open on his chest. However, this time it actually showed some results because the youkai got a big gash across his striped face. "NYAAAAAA!!!!"

The youkai was crying in pain now, and Inuyasha seized this opportunity to run forwards with his sword, despite all the scabs tearing at his skin. "SANGO! NOW!"

Sango threw her boomerang immediately and it struck the youkai in the side of the head. It hollered even louder this time and Inuyasha rounded off his sword and flicked his wrists, effectively cutting off the head of the youkai.

The head bounced onto the ground and the body collapsed shortly after it. It created a huge thumping noise as it smashed into the trees and grass below.

How could something that enormous hide on this island so that he couldn't see or smell it?

"Good shot, Sango!" Inuyasha screamed as he gracefully landed onto his feet, but he crumpled down moments later. The youkai had thrown him around like a toy numerous times, and his body was still covered fully with knife-like teeth bites. "Shit..."

"Inuyasha! Are you okay?" Sango scurried over and leaned over him, as well as Miroku. "Let's get him onto the boat, quick. Before it gets dark."

"Good point." Together, the two of them dragged the unconscious Inuyasha, Hiten, and Manten out of the area with Shippou following close behind. He was perfectly unharmed because he had been sitting on a branch for the entire show.

"Oh yea, I found Miss Kagome and the few others that had run away." Miroku pointed out to the woman as he got a better grip on the bodies. "She had a chunk of her ankle bitten off when she took a bath in the ocean."

"Is she alright?" Sango asked worriedly, struggling to pull them because of her own injuries. "She won't lose her foot?"

"No, she was lying on the shore crying and I carried her here. She's fine now, I think."

Sango nodded and headed in the direction Miroku indicated. "That's good."

The continued to walk in silence a bit more before Sango paused. "YOU CARRIED HER HERE NAKED? YOU PERVERT!"

Miroku's eyes widened considerably. "Wait, Sango, it's not what it sounds like..."

The poor beaten body of Manten being dragged by Sango was forgotten as she dragged it hurriedly over logs and jagged rocks in order to get away from the pervert.

* * *

Kagome screeched in delight when she saw Sango coming in from the clearing dragging something that looked like, a white youkai? She squinted and saw that it was only Manten. "SANGO!"

"Kagome!" Sango ran over quickly and gave the girl a quick hug, and it wasn't long before Sango fell to her knees. Her body had taken a rough beating during the fight.

"Sango, are you okay? Sango?" She attempted to bend over and pick her up, but Miroku did so for her. "She's badly hurt."

He already had her in his arms as he stroked the unconscious girl's hair. "She's fine. I'll take care of her." He turned around to face the five men who had run away. "As for you guys, who can't live up to the courage of a woman, I'll let you guys be dealt with by the captain when he recovers. I don't have anything to say."

"Miroku, I think I see the ship at three o'clock!" Shippou screamed from above the highest tree. "It's actually not too far from here!"

"Good. We're leaving this shitty island straight away." He motioned to the men, who were all looking down at their feet. "You guys carry Hiten and Manten and help Miss Kagome walk. I'll carry Sango and drag Inuyasha."

He probably did not trust them to drag the captain, and it clearly showed. Miroku was stumbling with a woman in his arms and a heavy man dragged behind him as he walked the fifty-minute route back to the ship.

* * *

"What do you mean everyone's already back onto the ship? How?" Miroku asked as they finally reached the ship, only to have a large group of their crew greet them at the front. "Didn't you guys get separated in the overnight?"

"We did. But then we just tied ourselves to each other." A young man pointed out. "The large group of us just magically appeared in different areas every morning. Today we just appeared next to the boat, so we're pretty lucky."

"Yea...lucky..." Miroku grumbled as he handed Inuyasha to the crew to be taken care of. "Bring him to his bed and a warm bucket of water. Don't forget the bandages and the medicine." He passed them the others. "And them too."

Kagome hopped onto the ship, feeling a little more comfortable than on the island. A mud pond would be more comfortable than this hell/winter, no food or drink, insane youkai island.

"Somebody tend to Miss Kagome's foot as well."

Hojo nodded and ran off in a huff to prepare, while Miroku just sauntered off into Sango's room with her still in his arms. Everyone else boarded the ship, including Shippou and the frightened men.

She found a seat in a room and she winced as Hojo took care of her injury, carefully cleaning it with alcohol and wrapping it up with long bandages.

She screamed the entire time, but Hojo didn't seem to notice and continued with his job, humming as he pinned the bandage together. "See, that wasn't so bad."

"I hate you." She mumbled with a half-smile. "But thanks."

"No problem. Kagome, if you ever have any problems don't hesitate in finding me and asking, and if you ever need someone to talk to - " Hojo mumbled shyly, glancing away and a blush highlighting his face. "...to talk to, you can talk to me...Kagome?"

He spun his head around eagerly just in time to see the door slam. Kagome had run out on him when he was still declaring his feelings for her.

Oh well, he'd tell her the next time he cleaned her wounds. He couldn't wait.

* * *

Kagome hobbled with her bandaged foot for a bit and before long she found herself standing in front of the captain's doors. She wanted to knock, but didn't want anyone else to see her going to his room.

They'd probably assume she was coming here for another reason...

She came because she wanted to talk to him some more. About what, she didn't know. But a part of her wanted to change him. After all, she would feel so much better if he became a gentler captain.

That and she wanted to see if he was getting better. She wanted to make sure that he didn't remember anything she did to him last night. When she just leaned over and hugged him...he was probably shocked...

Maybe she should go explain...

Yet, there were two parts of Kagome arguing with one another. A part of her wanted for her to continue with her plan, and it told her that he would definitely let her go home to Souta if it worked.

Meanwhile, the other part of her laughed at the first part, telling her that it would never work and he'd probably just rape her and forget about her.

She was distracted from her thoughts when a young man barged out of his room, the door missing her face by an inch. Luckily, she was on the other side, so he did not see her standing there.

The young man was carrying a bucket of supplies, and an angered expression on his face. "Damn it..." He muttered as he stormed away.

"AND DON'T COME NEAR ME AGAIN!!!" Someone hollered from inside the room, and it could have been nobody but Inuyasha himself. Obviously he was awake and angry about something.

Catching the door with one hand, Kagome took a deep breath in before stepping inside his room.

* * *

AN: I haven't done a cliffhanger in a while and I thought it would be time for one. That and I lengthened the chapter to make up for my annoying updating habits. : )

Thanks so much to my loving reviewers. I love you guys so much and they really do inspire me, no matter how long you think I take to update. I read every one of them and I really you guys enjoyed this.

Sorena


	11. LoveHate Relationships

AN: Chapter eleven already? I'm surprised! I have absolutely no idea how long this fic is going to be, but I'll let you guys know when I figure it out. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, because for once there is a little bit more fluff than usual…

Pirate Pash

Chapter 11 – Love-Hate Relationships

* * *

"What do you want?" He snarled as a familiar presence sauntered into the open door left behind by that annoying crew member. He really didn't want to deal with her right now, mainly because he didn't want her to look at him with those eyes…

Pitying eyes. That was what Inuyasha liked to call them, and he despised it to no end. Whenever anyone gave him that sad and miserable 'I feel sorry for you' kind of look, he had a sudden urge to knock them to the ground and punch their face in.

He'd show them who should be feeling sorry for who…

He quickly ate his words when his gaze landed on her naive face. She was peering shyly from around the door, and was obviously reluctant to come in. Even without talking to her he could tell she was a little frightened.

He smirked as he relaxed into his bedstead. "Well?"

"I…I - " The young woman stumbled into his room, letting the door slam shut behind her. Kagome did not move an inch closer when inside.

"Spit it out." He said sarcastically, but felt that it came out a little harsh. "What did you come here for?"

Suddenly, images of that night of them in the bushes flew back into his head like a sickness and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable around the girl. It wasn't that the embrace they had had was out-of-this-world or mind-numbing, in fact, it wasn't even close.

It was the way she had slowly reached over and wrapped her shaking arms around him, and the way her face paled when she did so, making it blatantly noticeable she had not done this type of thing before. As odd as it was, in that moment he would have done anything to protect her.

She looked at him with wide eyes. "I just wanted to check if you were okay…" Kagome scanned around the room to stare at every interesting speck on the wooden floor. "Not that I care."

"Keh!" He turned his head away, making an effort to turn further to avoid letting her see how affected he was by her words. "I'm fine. How weak do you take me for?"

After hearing his words, she seemed a little more at ease around him, now walking closer with each small step she took. He peered out of the corner of his eyes at her legs. They seemed longer and darker-toned than before, not to mention they seemed to actually have some meat on them now. He didn't like his women too skinny. Kikyou was too skinny.

"I don't know. But it looked like you were really hurt when we found you back there." Kagome's sudden words snapped his stare back onto her face. Her expression was filled with curiosity. "Were you just looking at my legs?"

He smirked arrogantly, enjoying her perplexed look. "There's nothing to look at."

Even as the words slid out of his mouth, he set to stare at her legs again, this time when his gaze reached even lower, he paused. One foot was bandaged up and he could see a few red splotches staining the white fabric causing her to limp. "Kagome? What happened to your foot?"

"Foot?" She glanced down and remembered. "Oh that. I was bathing in the ocean and this fish took a horrible chunk out of my foot. It's alright though. Hojo cleaned it for me already."

Stupid bastard. Everyone on board knew Hojo had a thing for Kagome, even him. Inuyasha imagined the dumb-looking boy touching her and mumbled something. "Does it hurt?"

"What? This?" She came to stand near to his bed, not realizing just how much of an impact she made. "Yes, but not close to as badly as before. I was screaming like a baby on the beach."

Something inside of him wrenched as she began smiling at her own story. He didn't like the thought of her crying out in pain while she was all alone. He waited until she stopped giggling to reach for her foot. "Kagome, let me see it."

She jumped back a foot in surprise. "What? You want to see it? It's disgusting."

He sighed impatiently and sat up in his bed. "I want to make sure it's not infected. Hojo doesn't know the first thing about first aid. He couldn't get a sliver out of a finger."

"You know, before you worry about my little problem you should be looking at yourself." She pointed to his partially bandaged upper body and frowned. Some pieces were untied and it was a complete disaster, blood was wiping onto his chest and his arms looked beaten up. "Did you clean that yourself?"

He grinned. "Did you see that wuss running out of my room just now?"

Kagome nodded silently.

"He tried to come in and bandage me up, saying it was Miroku's order. And I wouldn't let him." He smirked and remembered the guy's shocked expression when he told him to back off. "I hate smart alecks who act like they give a shit about you, when all they want to do is kick you when you're down."

She stared at him blankly. "That's terrible. Is that what you take your crew for? Mean people who just want to hurt you when you're frail?"

Inuyasha scratched his head as if he'd heard this line a million time before and laid down, regardless of the bandages flinging everywhere. "Of course. Some of those bastards look as if they want to gauge my eyes out with knives whenever they see me. If not, they pretend to play nice with me to get me to raise their ranking."

Kagome was lost for words as she continued to stare at him blankly. This time he noticed her lips when she started to lick them with her tongue. They were a pretty pouty pink and he had an urge to touch them. If only she could hear what he was thinking…

"I…" He awaited her 'you're horrible' speech patiently, finding it fun to mess with her head. "Inuyasha, I think we're the same. We don't trust anyone."

"…idiot!" He said sharply, taken aback by her comment. What did this little girl know about trust? "I trust Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Hiten and them! Just the others I don't know about!"

"You say it, Inuyasha, but you still doubt it sometimes, right? I know I do." She scrambled forwards and flopped down by his feet on the bed, loving the soft cushioning compared to her own run-down bed at home. "Sometimes I think I was hurt so much when I was younger that people aren't trustworthy anymore."

"So you don't trust anybody at all?"

She shook her head slowly and stared at her hands. "That's not completely true. I would trust my brother Souta with my life, for sure. And I trusted my parents when they were still alive. But I think that's about it."

This woman's parents were dead? He had never heard any of this before. "How'd your parents die?" Inuyasha asked casually, the curiosity cutting at him inside.

Kagome looked as if she knew the question was coming, but she didn't want to answer it. It didn't take a genius, let alone a pirate, to figure her out. He glanced down to her hands to spot her pale knuckles.

"Pirates got to them, didn't they?" He said quietly to the stiff girl sitting by his feet. He smiled. "So that explains why you hate us so much." After a while, he couldn't contain himself and started to chuckle under his breath as quietly as he could.

"…it's not a laughing matter at all." She sniffed silently, only to have him sit up straight. Argh, he shouldn't have said anything…

Kagome's small shoulders shook as she tried to get out the words. "I…I had to watch these monsters slaughter my parents into tiny bits, do you understand what that could possibly feel like? " She grounded out angrily.  
"The same parents that loved me, and protected me? After they died I lived like a bug trying to survive in water… and I – I hated pirates more than anything on earth."

Maybe he shouldn't have brought this up. Her face was turning a pasty red and he could see her eyes turn glossy. She wasn't finished her story, apparently. "…it didn't only happen to me. They set houses on fire, murdered people I knew, and raped the village ladies. After they left the island it was nothing more than another run-through place for these barbarians." She slowed down a bit to inhale. "Another stop on their trip…"

He could smell some salt in the air and stirred in his seat. What could he possibly conjure up to make her stop her shaking and possibly weeping? He muttered awkwardly, "Kagome, please don't cry on me. I hate seeing women cry."

"I'm not crying." She sniffed, wiping her eyes quickly with her dirty sleeves and glancing up at the confused captain. "Why am I even telling you all this? A lot of people don't even know about my past."

"And here you are telling it to a pirate, huh?" He joked, trying to get her to smile again but it backfired.

Her face froze in a second as she crawled out of bed, her eyes unfocused and blurry. Before he let her jump out of his reach, he snatched her arm and pulled her back up. "Don't go, I was just joking."

He gulped when he spotted a droplet slide down her cheeks, and her fingers were tugging away from him as forcefully as she could. Soon her tears were washing her face and neck like water. "Let me go, Inuyasha! I don't want you to see me like this!" She choked with as much volume as she could as she tugged with more power than before, "I hate it when people see me cry! Let go of me, Inuyasha!"

"No."

"INUYASHA! STOP IT!" Kagome tried to kick him away with her capable foot, but ended up pushing against his chest wounds and landing with a 'BANG' onto the hard floor.

"Shit. Kagome, are you okay?" He fumbled over immediately and peered over the side of the bed, hoping the girl did not fall head first. "Talk to me."

She was sprawled out on her back; her long dark hair flew around like mad and her face was wheezy from screaming. Her skirt fell barely below her hips because it had gathered upwards from her fall, and her mouth was parted and formed in an 'O'.

It was quite the sight for Inuyasha.

* * *

"Eoohhhh…my back…" Kagome wheezed, pushing herself off of the floor while trying to maintain at least some of her dignity. That had to be one of the most humiliating acts ever pulled by her, and it just had to be seen by him of all people. "Inuyasha, can you help me up?" She reached up a hand but nothing touched it. "Inuyasha?"

She glanced up. He had on the most intrigued look while still looking at her. Yet, when she spoke to him, he appeared to be thinking about space. Kagome repeated slowly, "Inuyasha?"

"Huh? Oh!" He shook his head immediately and grabbed her hand, pulling her up and back onto the bed. However, this time, he had pulled with so much strength she was flipped to lie on her side next to him in bed.

She squeaked silently when she was flung in the air, but recovered when she felt the soft sheets against her back. "That was very embarrassing…" She muttered, covering her face from his intense gaze. "Please pretend you did not just see me burst out crying and fall off your bed."

"And lose that image in my head?" He grinned proudly as another bandage around his arm slithered off. She gulped when he inspected her face a little bit too carefully.

"What?"

"Your face is still wet."

She quickly reached up and tried to wipe her cheeks of any liquid. When she could not find any, she felt a finger come forward and swipe next to her eye, below her lashes. The instant his hand came into contact with her skin, her whole body shook internally and she scarcely lost her breath.

"There."

That action made her uncomfortable beyond words. All thoughts of her earlier plan made her chuckle because of the silliness of it all. A simple touch by this man and her legs turned into mushy jelly, and she had planned on seducing him? That was a laugh and a half!

"Don't do that." She whispered softly when his warm finger left her face. Kagome scooted back against the wall a bit. "I don't feel comfortable."

"Why? Do I make you uncomfortable because of what I am? I'm not the one that trashed your village, Kagome." He asked, moving closer to her with her every movement. "I may brag about things like that but I rarely go through with them."

"That makes it much more appropriate." She answered snidely, her back now pressed tightly again the cold wall, and Inuyasha's face was just inches away from her.

He sighed as if what he was about to say was something he'd never say in his life. "I won't hurt you, Kagome. Don't be scared of me."

"I know, but please stop coming closer." She squeezed her eyes together tightly. The captain looked as if he had a plan in his head and she didn't like it.

She noticed he ignored her useless pleas, and holding back the embarrassed sobs in her throat from being so close to a man, she held still. Inuyasha…she could partially trust him not to do anything inappropriate with her…but this was something she did not want. Her purity was all she had left in this world…to have it taken away by a pirate was a sin. "...Please don't…Inuyasha…I beg of you…"

To fight him would be useless, she noted, because his strength exceeded any normal human man's, and his temper could be times worse. Kagome whispered pitifully and detested herself for being so tiny around him, "don't do this…"

His masculine face closed in on her, and before she could protest, he had wrapped his strong arms around the back of her head and pulled her tightly into his wounded chest. She breathed in the overwhelming smell of blood, but she didn't mind. She was more focused on the words slipping out of his mouth…

"I won't let anyone hurt you anymore, Kagome."

She stopped before reaching over and grabbing a lock of his black hair, slowly pulling his head to rest on her shoulder. He willingly relaxed and grasped her more tightly than before.

If she had known coming into this room would have her in Inuyasha's bed holding onto him this closely, she may have had second or third thoughts about coming in. But she was starting to feel a little woozy from the sensations stirring in her lower abdomen, and the way his muscles felt against her smaller body did not help matters.

And as much as she wanted to scream at him, let go and stalk out of the room, she needed to feel him hold her. She took in a deep breath and inhaled a musky and calm scent, one she was not used to. Yet it made her feel wanted…and nice…

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a bandaged woman pushing open the captain's doors. "Captain! Shippou said – said…said that, I mean… my god, he sai - I'm so sorry!"

It was clear Sango had already recovered and in seconds she had sped out the door in a full-on sprint.

"NO SANGO IT'S NOT… oh no…" Inuyasha groaned and let the young woman in his arms go, before rolling onto his back and resting his arm on his face. "Now she'll tell Miroku and he'll never shut his face…"

Kagome sighed with disappointment when she felt the comforting warmth pull away from her, and she scrambled out of the bed and managed to somehow leap over Inuyasha with one foot. "I'm going to go explain it to her."

"She won't listen to you." He sighed before turning around to rest again. "But do what you want. We're having a feast tonight on deck. I want you to come."

The last line made her feel a little comforted after he rudely released after all he had said, but she nodded dumbly anyway and ran down to look for the woman who was most likely not going to keep her mouth shut.

* * *

"They… WHWHAT?" Miroku choked on his loaf of bread he was gnawing on and started coughing like he had an oar shoved down his throat. When he finally spat out the chewed lump onto the floor, he repeated, "You saw the captain and Miss Kagome doing THAT on his bed?"

Sango nodded and rested a hand on her chest. "I…I walked in and I saw them rolling around on the bed…and he said something about not hurting her, and now they're probably going to think I'm …" She noticed Miroku raising an eyebrow suggestively. "Nothing. Kagome's probably going to kill me…and…"

"SANGO!" They both spun around to a wobbly Kagome in the doorway leaning against the doorway breathlessly. "Nothing happened like that, Miroku. Don't listen to – to what she's saying!"

"Very well done, Miss Kagome." Miroku noted as he started to clean up his earlier mess on the floor. "I didn't believe you were that type of girl, so how did you come across it?"

Kagome's face turned redder than a tomato and she glared at the two smirking pirates. "Nothing happened. We just hugged." She could not believe this was happening to her.

"I don't believe I need to explain myself to you two."

"I know what I saw." Sango still insisted, backing away from Kagome slowly. "Kagome… what in the world were you thinking? Did we not agree together in the beginning that Inuyasha was a pig-headed, stubborn captain who treated you like dirt?"

The woman sighed and gave in to the weight, crumpling onto the floor in a mess, tucking her knees under her chin. "I know, I know we said that about him… but I feel like he's changed, you know Sango?"

"It's still the same guy, Kagome." The other woman pointed out with a sigh. "He's just showing you the nice side we've all seen before."

Miroku rudely interrupted with a wave gesture of his hand. He smiled at Kagome. "So now that you are on better terms with Inuyasha, has he agreed to send you home? Even if it's only for a short while?"

She fiddled with her fingers, remembering that earlier he had touched these fingers with so much gentleness. Kagome never knew that the captain, whom had only shown her some friendly sides occasionally, could be so heart-stopping and protective all with one look into his dark eyes.

'I won't let anyone hurt you anymore, Kagome…'

She had practically swooned and melted into a puddle in his bed when she heard those words come out of his mouth.

How she wished he seriously meant what he said, because if no one could hurt her anymore, maybe for once in her life she could feel really happy, and be the young woman she was.

Perhaps she was just too caught up in the heat of the moment. After all, it was a completely new experience for her: hugging men, pouring out her soul in front of them.

She had also heard a lot about a man's desires and how they would do anything to satiate them.

Not only that, but she'd noticed on several occasions when strange men would get this forceful, glazed look, as if they wanted to eat her for dinner. Maybe this was all something Inuyasha planned…?

"Hello? Miss Kagome, did you hear me?"

"Huh?" She was snapped out of her thoughts by Miroku's voice.

Miroku heaved a sigh as if he were talking to a doorknob. "I asked if Inuyasha was going to consider letting you go home."

"…" No… he had not mentioned anything like that. He had promised he was going to protect her, but if he really wanted to protect her from getting hurt he should let her go home! Inuyasha was the one hurting her! He was the one not letting her see Souta! She crawled up and screamed, "He's the one!"

Miroku and Sango both stared on with confused looks washed onto their faces. She walked up to her friend and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Kagome, 'He's the one!'? What are you talking about? You didn't answer Miroku's question."

"I'll see you later." Kagome spun around immediately to head towards the door. There were a few more things she needed to discuss with him. "I have to go talk with Inuyasha."

Miroku muttered. "Miss Kagome is completely out of it."

"Kagome, wait!" Sango's call managed to reach her ears. "Inuyasha's not going to be in his room now. He's helping to prepare our celebration feast tonight on deck and he's busy. You should talk to him when we go up for dinner."

Miroku quickly nudged her in the waist.

"Ow! Miroku, what was that for?" Sango shot her a second look. "Oh, right. Kagome, on second thought, don't. What about you talk to him AFTER the banquet? I'm sure he'll be too drunk to know what he's doing and all during…"

"Alright. So I'll talk to him at dinnertime. Bye Miroku! Bye Sango!"

"Wait, Kagome - !" Before Sango had time to prevent Kagome from escaping, she was only a puff of smoke left behind in the hallway.

* * *

"Brat, tell me again what you just said!"

Shippou twitched and set back to pointing at the detailed map he had sketched over the past few days. "Listen, Inuyasha. Don't be so impatient. I said that I have mapped out some possible locations of the Shikon no Tama, and that after visiting a majority of them…"

"We can't find them. Anywhere." Inuyasha filled in with a scowl.

The child reached for another book. "And with your odd sense of smell, you're positive you can find it?"

The captain scoffed and pushed some books out of the way. "Of course! I haven't smelt it on any island. No trace whatsoever. Maybe you're just being a brat and you've done something wrong."

Shippou glared at Inuyasha sharply. "I don't make mistakes. These are only indications, not pinpoints. We have to follow a lead but up until now there are none. Either your nose is screwing up, or somebody else has gotten to the Shikon no tama first."

"Someone else?" The captain glared at the small kid with disgust. "Look, either you find the tama soon, or we can just drop you off where we found you." He knew he was lying now, but if they didn't find the loot soon everyone was bound to get rowdy and upset.

For the first time ever Inuyasha regretted lecturing Shippou because as soon as the words escaped his mouth, the small boy turned his head away and began to shake. 'Shit…why's everyone crying on me today?"

"Shippou, you know I'm just messing…"

"SHUT UP!!!" Inuyasha jumped back a foot at the loud scream that emitted from the boy's mouth. This was also a first. Shippou's face was scrunched up, and although there were no tears he looked like someone had just slapped him.

Shippou pushed his pile of books onto the floor with a crash. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH! I'm just a kid, Inuyasha! You work me like I'm a slave and I can't take this anymore!"

Inuyasha sighed bitterly. "I don't treat you like a slave. I treat you like one of my crew – with respect."

"No. No you don't. You yell at me to do stuff in deadlines I can't make, and even after I spend hours working on these stupid maps there's not even a 'thank you'. I'm still a kid; I deserve to have time to play." He stood tall, or as tall as he possibly could on the wooden chair.

Inuyasha could feel a vein popping in his forehead. "None of us have time to play! You know why you're here! Now you want to play games?"

"I…" Shippou opened his mouth to speak but held his tongue. "You're even more immature than me, Inuyasha. Just forget it."

With that he hopped off the chair and stuttered towards the door and in seconds was gone out of his sight. The captain felt a bubbling anger inside and made a tight fist with his right hand. How dare the brat speak to him like that! Who did he think he was?

Trying to calm himself down, Inuyasha grabbed his forehead tightly and cursed. Nothing had gone right since their departure from that screwed up island with messed up mornings and vicious youkai. "Shippou hates me…my crew are all wimps…"

That reminded him. Those five men were the ones that fled the instant the hideous youkai's shadow towered over them. He himself had panicked, obviously, but he remembered perfectly well how his crew had just screamed like pansies before scampering off somewhere into the woods.

With sissies like that, they'd never win another battle. And what if they ran into him…?

Inuyasha shook his head free of those thoughts and followed out the way Shippou had come, another thought on his scrambled mind. 'I'm going to take care of those guys right now…'

* * *

Kagome smiled to herself and clapped her hands together. After starving herself for days she was now staring at tables filled with different assortments of food. While the amount was limited for each person, it was still more than they usually got.

She stared on as the other pirates began shoving food in their faces like it was nothing, and using only their hands to scoop the food, or occasionally stabbing a piece with their knife and then chewing on it with their mouths open.

She didn't like it, but there was really no other choice.

Kagome scurried over to a section and noticed most of the crew members were ignoring her, so she went on by herself and scooped some tuna with her hand, and forgetting the slushy feeling as she placed some on her tongue.

"So…good…" The woman mumbled to herself and began to shadow the others, grabbing handfuls and shoving it forcefully into her mouth. Her stomach was still growling, and she would have done anything to fill that hole.

"Way to go!"

She glanced up and saw two pirates from the other night, the ones that had escaped in battle and talked with her. They were grinning at her and one went forwards to slap her on the back. "That's it! You're catching on!"

"Really?" She replied weakly, surprised anyone was talking to her in front of the others. "That's because I'm so hungry."

One chubby brute laughed heartedly and added, "I've never seen a woman eat like such an animal!"

"Excuse me?" Kagome gasped and dropped the food in her hands. "You're calling me an animal?"

The other skinny moustached man grinned. "He's just kidding with you, Madame. It's a fine thing. You have to admit it being around all these men all the time can cause these bad manners to wash onto you."

A few other guys joined in on the taunting. She was suddenly embarrassed, but somewhat pleased. Finally people were talking to her without insulting her. "But this tuna is really good…I can't seem to help myself."

This time more people joined in on the laughter and the chubby man grinned. "Tuna? Are you mad? That's dolphin meat you're eating right there!"

"Erk - " Kagome choked on her food and started hacking up bits and pieces out of her mouth. She flew into a coughing fit. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Everyone was too busy cackling and pointing at the lump she had spat out, and she choked again when someone else slapped her on the back. Kagome soon started grinning and laughing at herself.

"You're great." One man mentioned as he wiped a tear from too much laughter.

The others just agreed and again began digging into their food, which Kagome was now keeping away from. Dolphin meat wasn't exactly to her taste…

"Attention!"

Everyone's head spun out of their grub to stare at the newly arrived figure: Hiten. He was standing above the stairs with his long braid flying in the wind. "I'm glad everyone is enjoying our feast tonight. But our captain has a message and I urge you all to get your face out of the food and listen to him."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha came out from his room, a serious expression on his face. He did not look her way, but it was strange thinking that only hours ago she was in his warm embrace and running her fingers through his perfect hair… she was probably turning red from all these thoughts…

He grabbed the railing and cleared his throat. "Tonight I would like to announce to you all that I am very pleased that all of us made it aboard safely and without hassle. The island we encountered seemed to be an unexplainable one and it was most likely a death trap. Congratulations."

Cheers rang throughout the crowd.

She wondered why the captain's face all of a sudden turned stiffer. "Also, I would also like to inform you all that there are traitors aboard the ship. In fact, I would like to call them cowards and wusses, scum!"

His face seemed very upset now, and she felt an uncomfortable gut feeling stirring. Was he going to…?

"Can I get those men to step forward and admit their pathetic selves to the rest of the crew?" He screamed, waving his hand into the crowd. Everyone remained silent now despite their eagerness to talk to one another. Kagome included. "I know who you are! Step forward now or your punishments will be worsened!"

She swallowed loudly at the captain's shout and watched desperately as the men she was conversing happily with before looked at each other and stepped in front of the crowd. All five of them.

What was Inuyasha intending to do to them? He wouldn't! They were kind men! A punishment just because they ran away from a youkai? She suddenly remembered her conversation with the men earlier.

'It's not right for a lady to hear, but believe me; you'll see it when it happens. And it's probably going to happen to us soon.'

She cringed and looked up at the captain's face. It was cold, and harsh, and she suddenly felt like he was the man she had feared the first day she arrived. She could feel no closer to him now.

She spun around to look for anyone to stop what was about to occur, but when her gaze landed on Sango and Miroku, she gasped when they weren't doing a thing. When the woman peered over, Kagome sent her a worried look.

Sango seemed to understand what was going on in her mind because she shook her head silently. In other words, they were all going to stay out of this.

Inuyasha spoke unkindly as he stared down at the five men with their heads lowered below him, the others looking on with sympathy. "I hope you understand what you have shown on the battlefield both to me and your comrades. It was nothing but an act of cowardice, and as pirates, we will not tolerate such behaviour."

Kagome noticed the petrified look on the chubby man's face. His colourful cheeks were now a pale white and his smile was nowhere to be seen. "No…"

"Do you have anything to say in your defence?"

Suddenly, the skinny man with the moustache raised his head. "No, captain. We were cowards. We deserve punishment for our lack of loyalty to you." It may have been only Kagome, but she could clearly hear the disgust in his voice.

The captain remained quiet. "Do any of you have anything else to say?"

No one replied. Inuyasha took that as a sign of acceptance, and he scanned the stunned crowd before calling out, "Sango! Get the woman out of here! She will not witness this."

Who was this man talking? Immediately, every head turned to acknowledge her. Kagome breathed calmly and stared as Sango began making her way over. "Wait! I don't want to go! Inuyasha!"

"Be quiet, Kagome." He stated loudly enough for everyone to hear, "just go."

This flared her temper. How dare he treat her one way one second and then treat her like she was just a little girl? "No." She pushed Sango away, who just stared with shock on her face. "I'm not going anywhere."

Just then, Inuyasha gave her a frustrated look and gripped the rail tighter. "You'll do what I tell you, Kagome, now go."

She pushed forwards through the crowd and pointed at the man she had been hugging earlier, "No! I don't have to listen to you!"

The crowd shushed again to watch the insane woman tussle with the captain.

Inuyasha sighed with frustration and made his way down the stairs, stalling as he stepped down each step. "Don't do this now, Kagome." He warned, venom obvious in his voice.

She continued to walk forwards until she was blocking the men who were awaiting a punishment, the men who were so pleasant with her just minutes ago. Kagome held out her arms in front of them and challenged him. She tried to not be intimidated by his glare. "Inu – Inuyasha… I'm not going to let you hurt them."

"Oh?" He looked more amused than intimidated. "And why would you do something like that, Kagome? I thought you hated pirates. Don't stand up for these useless beings."

She snapped. "They're not worthless. At first I hated them but I realised after the island that they're funny and hard-working people. If you want to hit them, you can hit me first."

"Get out of the way, missus!" One hissed at her from behind. "Don't get in the way of him!"

She ignored them, not realising what she was setting herself up for. Kagome didn't even bother to turn her head because she kept her look fiercely on the captain. She was disgusted with his change in emotions, one instant he was protective and the next a psycho.

Inuyasha stared at her as if she was crazy. "I won't repeat myself, Kagome. Step aside."

"No…" She gulped and tried to beg him with her frightened eyes. He must have understood what she was trying to ask from him, but he remained his stranger self.

He paced forwards until his mouth was inches away from her face before pausing. Inuyasha was going to get this woman out of the way if it killed him.

* * *

AN: Next chapter: "Pirates, Pubs, and Prostitutes!" Hmm…I wonder what that could mean. Stay tuned!

Thanks again to my lovely reviewers! Your comments always cheer me up.


	12. Pirates, Pubs, and Prostitutes

AN: Hmm… a quick update. For me, at least. Unfortunately, my tongue is tied, so enjoy my lengthy update!

Pirate Pash

Chapter 12 – Pirates, Pubs, and Prostitutes

* * *

"Kagome…" He warned quietly enough so the words were only reachable to her ears. Inuyasha appeared strangely angrier than before, and she could feel each slow breath against her sensitive skin. "Don't do this now."

She would resist him. She had to. She was not going to let him harass those guys. Kagome whispered back sadly, "Only if you leave them alone."

"I can't!" He hissed, throwing his palms up into the air. Her breath hitched in her throat when his lips slipped next to her right ear. "Kagome…if these guys don't get punished I'll lose my position. I have to show them who's in charge and what happens if you break my rules…"

She desperately wanted to cower away from his authority, but somehow her body didn't move back an inch. She said quietly, "You don't have to anything you don't want to do."

He formed fists in both hands and stared at her. "Kagome, no one can stop me from doing this. Not even you. So move out of the way."

Kagome relented and shuffled forwards, further closing the gap between them. She ignored the stares of what felt like hundreds of crew members and brought her nose close to his. "I thought you would never do anything like this. Please don't…"

He wanted to push her back and tell her that what she was suggesting was insane! Absurd! The captain had to fulfil his duty, and he wasn't going to break that rule for anyone!

"Kagome, I really don't want to do this." He sighed and backed away from the determined girl, who had been a little too close a moment ago. Even the slightest move could have caused their lips to collide, and that was likely why he ran. He wouldn't have been able to control himself.

If his crew saw him…

"Sango! Miroku! Get up here!" His shout snapped everyone out of their curious stares, even the five cowardly men. Everyone wanted to know why the two were just standing next to each other for so long without saying a word. "Get her out of here!"

"Inuyasha!" She shouted in anger, surprised nothing she was trying to propose was getting through his thick skull. "I can't believe you! I begged you!"

The captain sighed tiredly and rubbed his head, suddenly glad there were only two women aboard. "Kagome, please. I'll talk to you later…"

"NO! I won't! You jerk!" She screamed and thrashed as the two escorted her a little too gently out of the way and towards the exit. "Don't you dare touch them!"

As soon as her screams were only faintly echoing in the hallways, Inuyasha turned his glare back onto the crowd. They were all staring at him as if he were an evil youkai in disguise.

He cleared his throat and pulled out a slip of paper from his clothing. "According to our rules, signed by all of us in blood before our voyage, a coward who runs away in battle shall be tarred and feathered by his fellow crew - they will then be attached to the main post for seven days consecutively without provisions. If they are able to survive the week, they are allowed back as an equal mate." Inuyasha paused. "If not, their body will be disposed of into the sea where cowards belong."

Fear crept into the eyes of the five men. They sent worried glances at one another but kept their heads lowered.

"Bring on the tar!" Manten screamed from the crowd, and he began to applaud. Hiten joined in eventually and soon everyone was clapping and hooting for the show to begin.

Inuyasha grinned but could still hear the quiet whines of Kagome from inside. Why had she been so eager to protect them? Hard-working? Kind? That was the last thing on Earth they were!

She was still a naïve little girl…

"Hojo!" He shouted, unable to get her cries off his mind. Yet unable to control himself, he looked at the skinny man and felt an urge to make him suffer for having a thing for the woman. "Bring on the fifteen buckets of hot tar and feathers from below deck!"

* * *

"Sango…" Kagome glared at her once she was brought to the kitchen, far away from the commotion. "How could you guys…?" 

A sudden cheer from far away made Kagome shudder.

Sango dropped down next to her and rubbed her temples. "Kagome, you shouldn't have gotten involved in this." Her voice sounded like she was tired of dealing with Kagome.

"Why shouldn't I have?" She replied angrily, banging her fist on the table and staring at the young woman. "I talked to those men before and they were friendly toward me! They were accepting after a while and I felt like I belonged! I'm not just going to sit back and watch those people put up with that pain!"

"Listen, Kagome. You don't have much of a say in that, no matter how close you are to the captain."

She lifted her head up despite the cold comment. "Even if I don't, don't you guys?" Kagome pointed to Miroku, who was leaning against the door without speaking. "Miroku's one of the men with some power, right?"

Miroku sighed. "That's true. But Hiten and Manten are still above me."

"That doesn't matter. You can still attempt to do something - "

He cleared his throat. "Miss Kagome, we were so against your punishment at first because of the simple fact that you were a woman. However, when a crew member breaks the rules, you must sit back and keep your mouth closed like all the others."

"What?" She stared at them bug-eyed as she reran the comment in her head. "So that's why you helped me? Because I was a woman?"

"Of course we got to know you afterwards and wanted to help you…"

"Forget it." Kagome sneered and got up, heading towards the door. "If you guys are going to be useless about this, then I'll do somethin-"

She was yanked back by Sango's arm abruptly. "You can't go, Kagome. They're not finished."

"Sango, what are you doing?" She looked on with surprise at her friend's arm holding her down. "I - "

Her eyes seemed frightened but her grip didn't loosen. "I'm sorry, Kagome. But this was Inuyasha's orders and… and I can't let you go back there now."

Kagome's face paled and she began to struggle, pulling against the girl's hold but Sango was obviously stronger. "Sango! What are you doing?! Let go!"

Miroku could watch this no more and walked over to latch onto Kagome's other arm. "Miss Kagome. Please don't take this the wrong way…"

"Aren't you guys my friends?" She screamed deafeningly and pulled against both of them, barely able to keep back the frustrated tears brimming in her eyes. What in the world were they doing? "Didn't you guys used to help me against him? Why are you doing this now?"

"Kagome, think clearly. This is a direct order from the captain. He knows we're responsible if you show up back there." He gestured towards the door and frowned at the girl. "If you go back there we'll have to deal with him too."

"Please, Kagome." Sango pleaded with her, her fingers interlaced. "Can you please just try to not interrupt just this one time? Please?"

"But the guys - "

Miroku assured her calmly. "Inuyasha won't do any serious harm to them. But they won't run away again, that's for sure."

"…" She paused and considered it. She really didn't want to admit it, but they were most likely right. If she were to go up to Inuyasha again he'd probably just penalize them harder because he was in a foul mood. Kagome sighed and loosened her tugging. "Fine."

The two smiled and let her arm go hesitantly. "Thank you. But you know, Kagome, we're sorry about this…"

"It's okay." She interrupted, dropping down into a chair and looking away purposely. A nice silent treatment might make them rethink this. "Just leave me alone."

Neither pirate had an audible response for her, but they nodded nonetheless and exited out the door. They knew better than to mess with Kagome when she was ticked.

'I can't believe this.' She stood up and wandered through the kitchen slowly. The nice homely food smell of bread and potatoes had disappeared and what remained was a dull wooden smell of the cupboards. They had finished most of the food for the feast. 'Inuyasha acted like he didn't really know me on deck…and Sango and Miroku just treated me like a prisoner…'

She gulped and rested her elbows on the counter. Kagome whispered to herself, "Why did they all lie to me? Their behaviour was believable…"

One thing Kagome unfortunately did not possess was the ability to deal with someone she knew well hurting her. When she actually let another person into her bubble – her bubble of trust – she always expected them to treat her as she treated them: like friends.

So she was not at all expecting the sudden backlash from the captain and his two assistants.

She rubbed her tired arms and felt a tiny bruise start to form in the crook of her arm. 'They actually dragged me from deck with some force…'

Suddenly, a grumble and a loud shout sounded from above. What followed after were heavy footsteps and a scream, but they were soon covered by the men's mumbles and claps. Kagome's arms lined with goose bumps and she shuddered.

'What is he doing…?'

She stared at the door calmly. She had promised she wouldn't go back on deck, and she would keep that promise. Besides, she didn't think much she did now could help the men any from the tyrant Inuyasha.

Covering her ears with the palms of both hands, Kagome crouched lower in her seat and tried to block out the screams that followed after. Her humming managed to somewhat block out the noise.

* * *

"I think that's enough, captain." Hiten pointed out. 

Inuyasha stared up at their work, a smirk lining his face. The five men were tightly bound to the main pole, their bodies unharmed but tarred and feathered. They looked like a row of large, hideous seagulls. "I think so too. I hope you all see what happens when you act like a coward."

At first the crowd remained silent… all until one man shouted from the crowd. "Three cheers for our captain! We - "

The man did not get to finish his sentence, because somebody else had punched him quickly in the noggin', sending the poor man flying to the floor.

No one spoke after that.

* * *

"Shippou," Inuyasha walked over the boy who looked obviously steamed at him, judging by the way his head bobbled when he was speaking. "Do you think my crew are angry with me?" 

When he was walking off deck a moment ago, he had caught more than one instance of someone shooting him down with a disgusted glare. While this had happened before, he had rarely seen everyone so pissed off at him.

"No. They love you." Shippou replied sarcastically, his back still facing the captain. "What do you think?"

"I think they all want to wring my neck."

Shippou scoffed and turned back to staring at his knees. "I don't know what to suggest."

"Why are they so upset?" Inuyasha paced around the room, his anger rising quickly. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. "It's not like they've never seen me hand out punishments…and they know all the rules…and - "

He sighed. "It's Kagome."

"What?" Inuyasha ran to the front of Shippou's chair, glaring the child down. "What the hell does Kagome have to do with this?"

"Even I saw how she was begging you not to hurt them. And look what you did."

"What I did!" Inuyasha stared amazedly. "I told Sango and Miroku to remove her while I carried on with my job! If I hadn't done something she would have gotten in the way and maybe cried or something! What else was I supposed to do?"

Manten entered the dim room, his bald head shining off the candlelight. "Captain, if I may say so, I believe it is also the girl."

"Manten. You think this is my fault too?" He sneered at the fat man who had just walked in. Shippou was still refusing to look at him. "I didn't do anything!"

"You may not have done anything, Inuyasha, but the woman did." Manten spat out the last words like poison seething his tongue. Memories of that woman made him want to strangle something until it died. "She made it appear as if you were the devil, and she was the angel trying to free the crew. It was beautifully played by that bitch."

Inuyasha turned to face him with a scowl. "Say that again."

Manten sweat dropped. He caught the: you-should-have-kept-your-mouth-shut grin from the brat and stepped back. "I – I didn't - "

The captain stepped forwards again and cracked his knuckles loudly, his temper getting to the better of him. And right now, this guy was sending him off the edge. "I SAID, say it again."

"I'm sorry, Captain Inuyasha!" Manten backed against the wall and held his arms in front of his face. "I didn't mean to call her - "

He did not have a chance to finish, because the peeved captain had already punched him several times, enough to have him crumble to the floor pathetically. "I - I'm sorry…"

"Call her a bitch again and you'll see your ranking disappear before you can open your mouth!" Inuyasha seethed before hurrying out the door. One thing he found he despised more than anything was insults about Kagome. How dare they even speak like that…

"Very nice, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha spun around when he was further down the hall and when he saw no one, stared down. "Shippou, brat. What do you want?"

"I liked that little display back there. And since I don't like Manten, you did me a favour. So I forgive you."

Inuyasha faked a smile. "Thank you so much. What do you want?"

"You seem a little confused about what to do, so I'll help you out. The last thing you want is your crew planning behind your back to attack you, so…" He stared at Inuyasha, awaiting his answer.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Think Inuyasha." Shippou tapped the captain's ankle. "I may just be a kid, but I know what men like the crew enjoy."

This kid was sometimes too smart for his own good. "I have no idea."

Shippou beamed and tapped his foot against the floor. This was bound to cheer everyone up and make Inuyasha the favourite around here again. "The town Bisuko of the Coast of Nabaya Island… know what I mean?" He raised an eyebrow.

It took the captain a minute to figure it out, but when he did, he smiled a wide smile. "Good idea, Shippou." They also needed to pick up some rations; the kitchen was getting quite bare. "I want you to give directions. We're pulling in at Nabaya Island as quickly as possible."

* * *

When it was pitch black outside, Kagome decided the coast was clear to creep out of the kitchen and head toward deck. Finally she could go see what the ruckus she was hearing earlier was about. 

She scampered up a long set of stairs and peered both ways, making sure no one like Inuyasha or the two assistants were hopping about. Kagome was going to deck no matter what they told her.

What if the men were not there? What if he had thrown them into the water? 'If Inuyasha killed them, I'm going to…'

Kagome hoped it wasn't what she was predicting and finally pushed past the door that would lead to her destination. She stopped and stared in awe as the sight blinded her.

The manly men were all tied up on the main mast, their eyes closed and their bodies coloured in some dark… was that tar? Not only that, but there were bundles of white feathers glued onto them, enough so that only their faces remained uncovered.

"Oh god!" Kagome gasped and hurried over. Their eyes were closed. Had they been beaten and feathered to death? "Oh dear god! Please don't be dead!" She shouted and ran hurriedly over.

They were tied so high onto the mast that she had to balance a few barrels to reach them. It was terribly difficult with only a few lanterns shining light onto her, and when she had managed to stack enough of them to crawl high enough, she shook the face of one of them. They did not stir, so she slapped his face lightly. "Wake up! What happened to you?"

They all seemed to hear her voice because at once all five pairs of eyes snapped open. They seemed to cringe when they saw her worried face. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh… thank god…"

The first one to open his mouth spoke hurriedly. "Ma'am! Please leave!"

She was confused. "Why?"

"This…" One man called Sogo turned his head over his shoulder, a feather unintentionally scratching against his nose. "This is humiliation! We do not wish you to see us in such a disgusting state!"

"Please leave, Miss Kagome." The moustached man who had looked so respectable moments ago now looked like a big bird. It would have been quite comical if not for the situation.

"But…"

"If you could do us a favour, it would be to leave us alone. Thank you for being such a dear…" His stomach stopped him because it suddenly growled a low rumble. Embarrassed, he turned his head away from the saddened woman.

She closed her eyes with disappointment. "I'll go… but only if you tell me that Inuyasha did nothing more to you guys." The barrels started to wobble and she steadied herself by placing both arms by her sides. "Er… so this was all he did?"

"We're fine, miss. Now hurry away before someone sees you talking to us." Spoke the chubby man who had laughed with her only hours ago. "We'll be fine for a week."

"Fine… what? A week?" Kagome spun around and her entire barrel ladder almost toppled over. She had to lean against the mast to avoid tumbling the five feet to the floor. "How are you guys going to eat?"

"We won't."

"So you're going to starve for a week?" She gaped, her eyes wide open and disbelieving. So this was his little evil scheme - to starve his crew to death. This was getting a little out of hand. "Don't tell me the captain wanted this."

None of them replied, probably because they understood she got along well with him, and if they were to badmouth him it could possibly reach his ears.

"That's it!" She slowly crouched down and brought her legs around the side, her fingers gripping the top of the barrel and letting herself plop onto the floor. She was going to clear some things up with that insane man. "I'm going to go talk to that idiot!"

"Wait - " Sogo paused.

Kagome heard him, but did not slow her pace a bit. Her feet continued to bang against the wooden floor as she ran, and she was destined to stop him. Sure, the punishment was not half as bad as she had pictured in her mind, but she still needed to tell him straight.

She arrived at the familiar door and barged right in, at the moment feeling no need to knock or be polite. "HEY!" Kagome walked straight in and yelled to the man with his back facing her on his bed. "Look at me."

He spun around, and immediately the first thing that registered in her mind was how stunningly handsome he looked when he grinned like a teenager.

But the dangerous question was… why was he smiling like that after what he had just done?

"Are you sick?" She scorned, walking quickly up to him to wrap her hands around his cheeks to see if he was burning up. "You don't feel sick…"

"I'm anything but sick." He smirked again, his fang-like tooth revealed. Inuyasha patted the seat next to him and smiled again. "Sit down."

"No…that's all right. I'll stand." She snapped although it was forced. The captain's sudden kindness was throwing her off again. 'Stop it, Kagome! Stop falling for it!' He was just trying to cover up his crime. "I – I want you to explain why you're starving them! I… I want to know!"

She did not sound intimidating after witnessing his cheerful grin.

"Starving who?" He shrugged at Kagome's decline to sit next to him and he dropped his back onto the comfortable sheets.

"You know who I'm talking about. Don't act stupid now. Those guys tied up to the mast like birds!" She pointed to the ceiling and cried, "It's inhumane! They need food, and water, and…"

"Alcohol." He filled in for her, his hands patting at his sides. "I remember the last time I fed you some."

Suddenly picturing the memory, he began to chuckle lightly.

"Stop…stop changing the subject! What's wrong with you? I'm trying to have a serious conversation here and you're acting like a goof!" Where in the world was the strict and rude captain? "And if you're already in such a good mood, won't you just let them go?"

"No." He answered briefly, but casually changed the subject. "But tell me this, Kagome. I came up with a great idea. I'm going to take the crew to the town of Bisuko…"

"Oh no…" She groaned, rubbing her head with her hand. "Don't tell me you're planning another attack - "

"…it's got the greatest beer in the world. And we won't risk being caught because I know the man that owns it; he's like a brother to me. That way we can relieve some stress."

"We're going to have drinks?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Now? In the middle of the night?" The feather issue with the crew had long flown from her head.

"There's no better time." He grinned again, and Kagome had to force herself to look away. When he did that…she didn't like it much…she knew she would be embarrassing herself by blushing like a beet.

And sometimes it could clear her mind of his wicked ways. Like now.

"Hey Kagome?" He asked suddenly. "Good thing you came yourself, because I was going to go get you later. I want you to take off your clothes."

In no time at all the captain found a red mark smack across his face. Kagome was panting, her face pale from the jolt she felt when she heard those words. Was he honestly serious? What kind of a girl did he take her for?

"Ow! What the hell, woman?" He felt his sore cheek but did not seem that disturbed by it.

"Well," She gasped, "That's what you get for being a pervert!"

"Pervert!" He sat up straight in bed and glared at her. Finally, some of the sensible Inuyasha was returning. "I'm not Miroku! I wanted you to take off your clothes so that you could go put on one of Sango's nice ones! You look like you've got a rag on!"

"Oh…"

She looked down and noticed the truth in his words. Her poor dress was probably destined to fall apart soon anyway, and there were dirt patches and small holes that she hadn't even realised were there. "Sorry about that."

Oh dear… she was turning into a man.

"Feh! Forget it!" He turned away and began to mumble something that she couldn't hear. "Stupid woman…"

She sighed and walked next to him, surprising the pirate quite a bit. Kagome sat down in the seat he had motioned earlier and reached for one of his larger hands. "Why?"

"Why what?" He choked.

She grabbed his hand in both of hers and felt the warmth seeping through it. "Are you angry with me for doing this?"

"N – No… why would I be?" He had no idea was this woman was plotting.

"Because I remember," she stroked his hand in several massaging motions, "when I first arrived you wouldn't let anyone touch you. But how come now even when I slap you, you don't shout at me like the jerk you are?"

He looked her in the eyes. "You just caught me on a good day, that's all." Inuyasha grinned at her and tightened his grip on her delicate fingers. "I guess I feel like I can trust you to touch me…I sound like a pansy, don't I?"

"No… not at all." She smirked and suddenly felt some of her anger stored up toward him disintegrate. Why did he have to say such a touching thing while holding her hand?

"Good." He looked at her as if he were a dog and she were a juicy piece of raw meat, and she scooted back an inch on his bed. Inuyasha was being sweet, a fishy kind of sweet. "Kagome, are you mad at me or something?"

"Yes, I told you I was. And you were ignoring me. I want – can you please let those guys go, please?" His face seemed expressionless so she continued to try. "I'll do anything, I - "

"Anything?" Inuyasha smirked again and leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean by 'anything', Kagome?"

"I… I - " He was doing it again. Getting too close for comfort and driving her to the brink of insanity. It wasn't that she was completely against it… because while her body mentally scolded her for being a wimp, her brain kept her face a distance from his. "I don't know… but you have to stop doing that to the men - or"

"Or what? What are you going to do to me, Kagome?" Inuyasha grabbed her chin and dragged her face forward, despite her sad attempt to pull away. He loved playing with her like this; she was adorable when she got so frightened.

"Inuyasha…" She was starting to think she was getting addicted to his face, with his cheekbones carved into perfection like that. "I told you- "

"Shh." He leaned forward a bit more, until his lips were a mere inches from Kagome's. Her delicious scent was driving him mad, and her pathetic anger only sparked it further. "I wanted to do this today on deck."

Her knees had softened into mushy cotton, and she had difficulty breathing normally. Every kind word out of his mouth was dragging her one step further from her childish innocence, and into the world of men she didn't quite want to explore yet.

"Wait…"

It was too late. She had fallen into his devious trap. She was actually giving in to him. Kagome gave in to his gentle grasp and slowly brought her face closer to his…

But before her lips could reach his, she saw a sudden glimpse of someone she had forgotten about for a month: Souta.

All of a sudden Inuyasha's face faded into her sweet little brother's face.

She screamed and leaped back.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders in a rush and held her still, a little insulted by that little display. "Are you okay?"

The girl before him began to shake, her shoulders rising and lowering rapidly, her hands covering her chest. It was as if she had seen a ghost in him or something. Kagome's face paled from her usual tan colour and she barged her eyes shut. "I'm – I'm sorry, Inuyasha… I just saw my brother…and he was crying…and I've -!"

He sighed. So that was why she stopped? Because she saw her brother? He didn't know whether to be insulted or irritated. "It's alright, Kagome, calm down. He's not here…"

"I know, but that's why…I've, I've completely forgotten about him! I'm a terrible person! An awful sister! My god!" Her shoulders shook as she covered her face with her small hands.

He couldn't bear to watch this girl whimper again. And this time he didn't even do anything to set it off. "Kagome…"

She glanced up through damp eyelashes and spotted his hurt look. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha… I didn't mean that… really," For once she wasn't lying and he didn't believe her. Had she not seen her brother who knows what she would have been doing with him now? "But I can't do that kind of stuff yet…"

Inuyasha sighed. "It's okay. Kind of hit my self-esteem though, but it's fine. Try not to think of your brother, okay?" He got up and dusted himself off before sitting in a nearby chair. "Go find Sango and get some new clothes."

She nodded and he watched solemnly as the girl walked out of the room completely different from how she entered.

That damn woman didn't have the slightest clue how much power she really held over him…

* * *

'I'm a horrible woman. First I don't get to tell him straight about the tarred men because he somehow managed to surprise me, and now I forget about Souta for a month. What's wrong with me?' She stumbled behind another door and began to change into her next wardrobe choice. 'I'm a heartless bitch.' 

"Kagome, you okay in there?" Sango called over in the next room, having seen the girl coming in here in tears. "We're leaving soon so let me see it!"

She swallowed thickly and leaned against the door for support. "I've never worn such a nice…thing…before… I don't really know how to walk in it."

"Come out! I'm sure you'll look great."

Kagome lifted her heels and rounded the corner, smiling softly when Sango's eyes widened. "Does it look that silly?" She carefully rubbed her hands down the soft fabric of the black corset.

"No…Kagome, you look perfect." Sango said honestly, feeling even a twinge of envy. Behind all the dirt on Kagome's face, no one would have been able to tell that gorgeous person hidden under the rags was even more glamorous cleaned up. No wonder Inuyasha fell for her…

"Why are we dressing up so nicely anyway?" Kagome twirled in front of the reflection of the window, the bottom half of her dress poofing out and barely dragging on the floor. "I heard we're going to some pub."

"Who knows where we're going?" Sango shrugged and changed into her own purple number, a burgundy dress that flailed out at the knees. "But we've got these dresses as a disguise. We're giving off the impression we're rich women and not tough pirates."

"Rich women…" Kagome repeated softly and shook her head. "I wish he could have seen this."

"Who?" Sango asked lightly, combing Kagome's hair.

"My brother." She replied sadly as she adjusted the strings on her top. "He always loved it when I dressed up like a girl. Souta hated how I was so much like a protective older brother all the time."

"Yeah… I know how you feel."

"You know, Sango" Kagome asked, slipping into her shoes and making way for the door. "I'd be happy if I were to see him right now for only one second. Only one. To see if he was okay. I'd feel awful if I were enjoying myself while he suffered…"

"Oh stop with the mushy stuff," Sango coaxed. "Don't bother with that now. It sounds to me like your brother wanted you to have fun, so isn't that enough?"

Kagome swallowed and paused mid-step. Her little used to constantly batter her about going out and making some friends, going places, and now she was doing just that. 'Maybe… I shouldn't feel so bad?'

"You're right. I need to stop this. He's a grown boy I suppose…"

The other woman patted her back with a sound of support and together they stepped up the stairs in their 'disguise', ready for the darkness of the night sky. "That's right, Kagome. You'll see him when you're destined to see him. Oh!" Sango interrupted herself and pointed at Miroku. "He's ready too. Let's go."

Kagome shook her head of all her negative thoughts and latched onto Sango, huffing up the stairs toward the gathered crowd.

Everyone was already laughing and roaring with conversation, and she noticed they were all a little more dressed up than usual.

She was content for the time being – and she was going to savour every moment of it. Souta would have wanted her to.

* * *

"Another bottle, everyone?" A buxom brunette woman sauntered over in her petite fabric of a skirt and winked at Hojo, who was currently relaxing with the others on the patterned flooring. 

They had docked the ship several miles from their location, and Inuyasha had told her it was simply to avoid being discovered. After all, they never knew when the navy could be about town.

"You look fantastic." He had said to her truthfully when she stepped onto the deck with Sango, and she felt quite uncomfortable when several other pairs of eyes began to leer. Even Manten's. "Let's go."

So they had walked a ten minute hike, all the while trying to preserve her shoes from skidding on the wet path. It wasn't raining out, but the dark grounds were still slimy.

"Doesn't Miss Kagome look exceptional in that black dress?" Miroku whispered to Sango a distance back from the woman. "She has the figure of a goddess! Heavenly!"

"Yea." Sango grumbled in response, dragging her feet.

"I mean, no wonder everyone stares! Kagome is naturally breathtakingly beautiful, and now that she's in that tight little thing I can appreciate how wonderful woman are."

Sango's face turned a pale green. "Hm."

"You don't look too well, Sango." His eyes quickly reverted back to Kagome. "I believe that Inuyasha is keeping her around for more reasons than looking like Kikyou. What do you think?"

When he looked at Sango, he realized she had long gone. Somewhere else, perhaps.

"Inuyasha, I don't want to drink anything tonight." Kagome pointed out at the front of the line where she was leading the pack alongside the captain. He seemed to be once again less conversable. "Can you hear me?"

"Wha - ? Yeah, I hear you. Feh! I'm not deaf." He snapped and turned back to face the large pack of crew following behind, not quite sure what was going on. "Men!" He shouted, holding his hand high. "We will be consuming alcohol tonight, and oddly enough I will permit it. However, if any of you act unruly because of too much, you'll regret it."

The crowd cheered and hooted at the captain's 'kind' comment.

"ALSO," Inuyasha continued sternly but with a smile, walking backwards as he spoke. "There will be women present, so if any unwanted misconduct occurs there will also be a severe punishment. Understood?"

"YES SIR!" They all shouted in unison, and Kagome noticed everyone's face was filled with delight.

"Good. Because we've arrived." Inuyasha led them up the rocky path with a sign at the door that Kagome couldn't read, and he walked in. Everyone followed suit. Was this large house what a tavern looked like?

She was confused.

When she first stepped in, she found the place to be quite roomy and snug, but after a while there was something eerie about it. It seemed to her like bad karma.

So she sat there like a child, glancing about and watching the commotion occur around her. She recognized the huge group of men from their group, but also many other men scampering about.

It was then that she noticed all the women. All of them were wrapped tightly in kimonos that she had read of in books, and they all walked with grace and poise, something she herself was lacking.

However, the majority of them were not too good looking. A couple of them had wide-set faces and beady eyes, and they were swaying along tediously to the tune of the guitar strings. Men circling them cheered and clapped as if they were the best performers on earth.

'What is this…?' Kagome turned her head and spotted Miroku whispering secretly to an unfamiliar girl also in a kimono, but this one had a rather cute appearance. 'Why's he talking to that girl? Where's Sango?'

Kagome saw her moping in another corner, pretending to drink but peering through the crowd at Miroku every few seconds. 'This is a funny place. But where are those men going?'

She looked over and watched in confusion as a number of men she recognized were being dragged away by these kimono women, some of them giggling and some of them grabbing onto these men for dear life. They seemed to be enjoying themselves…

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

The captain just had to shock her from behind with a glass in his hand. He yelled, "This is some place, huh? They're famous for welcoming pirates into their business!"

"Oh." She replied dumbly. "But where are all those guys being led off to? Are they getting more drinks?" Kagome pointed as Hiten was being dragged off to a back room by a beauty with long curly hair and piercing eyes.

"You don't need to know." Inuyasha only chuckled at her and plopped down onto the patterned flooring next to Hojo, and Kagome soon followed. This was all too foreign for her…

Suddenly a chestnut-haired woman - possibly the prettiest woman of the evening – showed up with a bottle in her hands and grinned at the three of them. "Another bottle everyone?"

Hojo nodded and held up his glass nervously, slightly intimidated by the beautiful woman. She smiled seductively and poured his drink, before turning to Inuyasha.

'She's looking at him funny.' Kagome pointed out to herself angrily. 'And is she batting her eyelashes at him intentionally? Why is he responding?'

"Thank you." He nodded his head in thanks and held up his glass, not noticing the deadly stares being sent his way.

The pretty woman spoke again. "Hey, babe. Are you here for a good time as well?"

Kagome hissed to herself. Who did this woman think she was, talking to Inuyasha like that? Ugh. She was throwing herself at him like a –

She did not get to finish her thought, because two slender hands had suddenly wrapped around her chin and turned her face around.

Kagome threw up her arms in defence, but froze when she felt it.

A pair of soft lips brushed against hers, and she could grimly taste the alcohol lining the woman's lips. However, she was even more thrown off when her mouth was forced open and a pink tongue slipped into her own.

Inuyasha choked on his drink and began to sputter. Hojo coughed.

"Mmmmmmph!" Kagome pushed against the woman as best she could, sending her back a foot. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "What was that for?!"

She looked a little stunned by Kagome's reaction, but grinned anyway, revealing an attractive smile. She stared at Kagome and smacked her lips. "You're so cute."

It had been her first kiss.

Her first precious kiss.

One she was supposed to share with her husband under the dimly lit light of the moon and stars, gazing into each others eyes and him brushing back her hair as the perfect moment emerged…

She finally understood - she had just lost it to a woman in a whorehouse.

* * *

AN: I must say, that was unexpected! This chapter was another record long for me, and reviews will be greatly appreciated and used for motivation! 


	13. Another Captain?

AN: I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Years, although when I went downtown to celebrate 2005 with my friends, nobody knew exactly when to begin the countdown, so I was left with no countdown and no chance to scream, 'Happy New Year!' in my friends' ears. Bah Humbug.

On a side note, expect to see more Inu/Kag smut in this chapter. As well as an appearance by somebody you should all recognize:

Pirate Pash

Chapter 13 – Another Captain?

* * *

The lord above was punishing her for sure.

Her ignorance, her innocence, and every good-natured aspect of her had been crushed by that one brief contact. When she felt those soft lips touch her own, she swore she heard – were those bells? Maybe because in the heat of the moment, she hadn't realised it was the woman kissing her.

She had first thought it was the gruff pirate sitting next to her who had pulled that move.

Her mouth remained slack, and her jaw was slightly hanging open in what could only be described as shock. 'By a woman… what a horrible dishonour to my dead family…'

"Don't tus…" Kagome mumbled silently as she turned her head away from the smiling prostitute.

"Are you alright, honey? I hope I didn't scare you - "

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kagome screamed with all her might, and within seconds every pair of eyes had landed onto her. Ones she didn't recognize, and ones she did. She could care less.

Kagome took a step backwards to distance herself, but ended up pressing her back against Inuyasha's sturdy chest. He placed his hands on her arms in a sad attempt to sooth her, but she shook him off furiously.

The woman who had been only kidding a moment ago suddenly wrinkled her forehead. "Ma'am, I'm very sorry if…"

"No. No, you can't just do that - " She stuttered and grabbed onto a nearby chair to level herself. Everyone in the room was still staring and wondering exactly what was going on between the two eye-catching women. "You can't just go up and kiss someone like that! You can't – I…" She broke off to take a deep breath.

"Sweetie, calm down." The woman slowly reached over to pat her hand reassuringly, but was thrown off when Kagome slapped her hand away. "Ow!" It wasn't done in an offensive way, but the prostitute needed to keep her distance.

"I'm sorry…" Kagome breathed quickly, "but I asked you not to touch me. Do you have a problem with needing to touch people?"

Inuyasha suddenly reached down and wrapped his large hands around her waist. He brought his mouth close to her left ear and hissed, "Kagome, calm down and forget it."

"No, I won't!" The usually shy woman felt a sudden surge of power running through her and she brought her arm forward only to bring it backwards with three times the force, effectively jamming her elbow into the captain's ribs. "Let go!"

Before she could make even more of a scene and see how the wheezing Inuyasha was reacting, Kagome pushed past everyone and dashed out the doors of the house, storming into the dark, green garden.'How could he just say that… it was my first time…and it was with a whore…' Kagome though quietly as she gripped a handful of leaves with one hand. She imagined it was that improper woman and squeezed even harder. How dare she even touch her.

Kagome had wanted to live clean until marriage, or as clean as she was before she was kidnapped by Hiten and Manten. It seemed after she ran into the violent but considerate pirate captain she was having some pretty soiled thoughts.

And she didn't like that too much. She wasn't even close to marriage yet.

Yet everything that had happened in the last five minutes fluttered back into her small brain and she could no longer contain it. She wiggled back down to take a seat behind a tall bush to rethink things.

Maybe… maybe she should just forget it. After all, it wasn't THAT huge of a deal, right? But the thought of Inuyasha's face always made the anger rise again. Did he just think nothing of what the woman did? Why didn't he smack that woman in the face?

All of a sudden, she heard a pair of heavy footsteps emerging slowly from the noisy house and into the garden where she was presently hiding. 'Inuyasha…?'

Kagome was glad she wasn't crying, because she knew he hated seeing her in that pathetic state. But for some reason she wasn't angry enough to cry, she was just holding back a ball of anger forming slowly in the pit of her stomach.

When the footsteps were only a corner away from reaching her, she crawled up from the ground and dusted herself off. She needed to prepare to speak to him without ending off arguing as always. She wanted to apologize for the elbow-in-the-rib accident, it had come off a tad harder than she had intended.

Kagome lowered her head and spoke calmly to the dark figure. She was completely not in the mood to deal with him if he began to yell at her. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry."

Good. He wasn't replying. Maybe he was… "Huh? Who are you?"

She had just apologized to the wrong person.

Inuyasha hadn't come after her, but rather a complete stranger. She had never seen this man before in her life, and she couldn't understand why he was out here in the middle of the night with her.

"Are you okay, miss?" The tall, dark man who had followed her was breathtakingly striking. He had a chiselled face complete with the bluest eyes she had ever seen, and his long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail on the top of his head.

She repeated herself with amazement, the thoughts of that woman quickly disappearing. "Who are you?"

"Oh, of course. How rude of me. My name is Kouga. And you are - ?" He smirked politely at her, revealing a fang-like tooth that she realized Inuyasha also had. Why the hell was she thinking of that man anyway? That inconsiderate jerk hadn't even come after her!

"Kagome." She replied, pretending to seem uninterested. It wasn't that she didn't want to speak with this man, but he was kind of creeping her out. "What are you doing out here anyway, Kouga?"

"I noticed you, Kagome, inside." He pointed to the noisy house behind them, now filled with laughter and music once again. "And I noticed you long prior to that kiss, which was by the way, very attractive."

She snorted. "Are you rubbing my misery in my face?" Kagome noticed his dazed expression and folded her arms quickly. "I'm not one of 'those' girls, in case you're wondering."

"Oh no, I could never mistake you for a whore. You are so much more beautiful than that." Kouga spoke calmly and smiled at her once again, causing an awkward silence to fall between them.

How was she expected to answer when someone said something like that? Kagome leaped back a foot when he began to remove an outer layer of clothing: his white shirt. What in the world was this weirdo doing?

"Wait - "

Before she could respond, he had whisked one of his shirts off his back and wrapped it securely around her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I just don't want you to get cold out here. I thought I saw you shuddering a moment ago."

This all seemed a little too familiar. The time of when she and Inuyasha were stuck together on that island came flying back to her. When he had done the same thing to her in a casual sort of way, she had flung his shirt back in his face. "…thanks…" She huddled tightly in her new blanket, which smelt of musky lavender.

"So now that you're feeling a little better, care to tell me why you're at a place like this in the first place? You mostly find filthy men here, not a pretty little thing like you."

She smiled sweetly and noticed him glaring at her. "I wish you could have told me that before I came here." Wait, hadn't Sango warned her not to reveal her pirate connections with anyone? Did that include handsome strangers who followed her in the middle of the night? "But I'm here because my – um, older brother is here. He's on a journey… and I am accompanying him because he wants a drink."

'Good one, idiot.' her mind scolded her.

"Was that man you were sitting next to in there your brother?" He asked casually, but the way he asked that set off something in her.

"Inuyasha is NOT my brother!" She yelled loudly. "I mean… no, he's not. The man sitting next to him was." Shit, she and Hojo had no resemblance whatsoever.

Kouga didn't seem to be listening anymore. As soon as the name 'Inuyasha' slipped off her lips, his face crunched up crossly. "Did you just say 'Inuyasha?'"

"Um." She was speechless. "How do you know him?"

"Inuyasha… Inuyasha's been my opponent for years. We're both after the same thing. I can't believe that damn bastard is here." He sneered and was about to turn around, but she quickly reached out and snatched the back of his shirt with her slender fingers.

"No, wait. Don't go yet." She immediately made up to avoid a brawl between Kouga and the pirate captain. He seemed to have the violent qualities of a wolf when he was distressed. "So, are you a pirate?"

He was so surprised by the beautiful woman's request for him to stop that he paused and smirked. "And if I am…?"

"Nothing…" She took another tiny step closer. She had only known this character for five minutes and already he was spelling trouble. Had she not stopped him he looked ready to tear somebody's head right off and jump on it. She had a gut instinct Inuyasha should know about this. "Well, I just admire pirates so much. I think they're so… what is the word - strong."

"Of course they are." He pointed out with full intensity, his eyes glazed over as if he were a grandpa telling a child another one of his lengthy stories. "Pirates are manly men. They battle, work hard, and know what they want in life. They're strong too, obviously."

"Oh really?" Kagome asked with mock interest. "What else?"

He raised an eyebrow at the girl but continued nonetheless. "They're also great companions, they can get a little out of hand at times but most of the time they're…"

Kagome sighed and fiddled with her fingers in a bored manner as Kouga continued to drone on. How exactly was she going to escape this chatterbox and warn Inuyasha?

Honestly she had no idea.

* * *

"Hon, are you all right? You look a little… flustered."

Inuyasha glanced up at the gorgeous Japanese woman who had just spoken to him, her hand resting lightly on his uptight shoulder. She was a looker, that was for sure, with her dramatic brown eyes and large chest only a few centimetres from his face. "I'm fine."

"Really?" She asked sincerely and placed herself down on the floor next to him, startling the confused Hojo who had yet to leave. The woman, who appeared to have been mesmerized by Inuyasha's good looks, touched his hands softly and stroked them with the pad of her thumbs. She brought her pink lips next to his ear and breathed, "Are you sure you don't need someone to – if I can put this bluntly - assist you?"

He wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying. He was too occupied thinking about what that stupid wench had just done to him. 'How dare she hit me! What the hell did I do to her to make her so pissed off?'

The beautiful woman still latching onto him looked into his distant eyes and sighed. This was beyond strange… no normal man had ever resisted her breathing-in-the-ear technique. If he were a sane man he should have been dragging her off to a back room by now. "Sweetie, are you still in there?" She waved a small hand before his face.

"Wha - ?" Inuyasha turned his confused face to her and frowned. When did that harlot sit down next to him? He turned to face her. "What was it that you needed?"

"Me?" She realised quickly that the handsome pirate was, indeed, speaking to her in that tone of voice. This was insanely out of character! This sounded to her like an interesting challenge. "I was just asking you if you needed some comforting?" She dragged a finger down his arm seductively.

"I can't believe her…" He mumbled to himself despite her actions.

"Who?" She whispered silently and began to stroke his arm again in soothing motions, ignoring the neglected Hojo watching this all occur next to him.

"Kagome…"

"Who's that?" She asked with a slight smirk, pleased that this man seemed unhappy with a woman. Perhaps she could persuade him into bringing her out of here and into another country? She wouldn't mind being carried around by this hunk…

"Damn it, Kagome! What's wrong with you?" He screamed suddenly, before storming out of his cross-legged position on the floor and following the path that Kagome had left out the doors and into the garden. He was completely regardless of the woman who had just toppled over onto the mat.

"I can't believe him…" The harlot spoke, weeping as she crawled back up from where she had fallen, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Wh - where did I go wrong with him?"

She froze when a hand began to soothe her back in circular motions. "There, there, ma'am. It will be okay."

She glared over her shoulder at the light-haired boy currently patting her back. Inspecting his average build and polite enough appearance, she brought on her perfect smile and turned to him slowly. He would do for now… "Honey, I think I hurt myself. Would you be a dear and help me up?"

It didn't matter how long it took and who she left with, but she was going to get out of here…

* * *

'I'm going to ask her why she attacked me so damn hard…' The captain pushed past a couple pirates he didn't recognize, and walked out the hefty doors. 'Why the hell did that stupid woman run into the garden?'

He looked around at the shadowy night sky, with only a smidgen of light shining down on the bushes surrounding the garden. Maybe… maybe Kagome ran back down to the ship? She couldn't have. Earlier he clearly saw her running out here and he hadn't followed her.

Something in him hadn't wanted to.

It may have been the hard jab in the ribs she gave him, or the fact that the kiss wasn't as big a deal as she was making it out to be.

Her face had sure been an amusing sight. Her hair was tousled up and messy, her usually pale face was beet red and steaming, and her lips were curled into the angriest snarl he'd ever seen. Kagome was great…

Inuyasha flinched when a mouse scampered by his foot suddenly, causing the pirate to jump back. 'That was unexpected…' He continued on through the tall bushes that appeared to look more and more like a maze than an actual garden. "Kagome?"

There was no reply. However, he heard the faintest scurrying sound coming from behind some bushes nearby. He repeated, this time in a more impatient tone, "Kagome? Are you there?"

"Ee – Inuyasha?"

He had caught her. Why was she hiding anyway? She sounded almost a little too frightened by his arrival. This peaked his curiosity as he turned another corner, nearing her voice with each step. "Where are you?"

"I'm – 'go' …here!" She shouted quickly with fake innocence dripping in her voice. His ears twitched lightly, had she just whispered 'go' to somebody out here?

"Who the hell are you talking to?"

She squeaked loudly when he was only one green wall away from reaching her and demanding some answers. Inuyasha picked up his pace when he heard swift footsteps leaving – no, wait, coming toward him?

"She was talking to me, asshole." A man who looked annoyingly familiar stopped before him, his fang bared and a fist formed at his side. "No need to yell at her."

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder, and peeking out from behind a flower pot was a worried Kagome, waving her hands frantically in front of her face, urging him to stop whatever he was going to do. "And why are you out here alone with her?"

"You don't remember me, Inuyasha?" The annoying man smirked evilly and turned around to glance at Kagome for a second. "And why would you care if I was out here with this pretty lady? Do you know her?"

"Yes, she's on a expedition with me. Do you have a problem with that?"

"My, the great Inuyasha is now carrying a woman aboard. I heard women were bad luck on ships, is that true?"

This bastard was going to die – whoever he was. He was giving way too much attitude for a wimpy-looking piece of crap like him. "That's none of your goddamn business! Who the hell are you anyway?"

"I'm Kouga. Captain of the Wolf Gang Pirates. I'm surprised you don't remember me - seeing we had such a memorable first encounter." He sneered. "But I suppose slow dogs like you have bad memories anyway."

"Maybe you're just too unimportant for me to remember!" Inuyasha screamed and leaped forward, swinging his fist at him and missing when Kouga ducked and ran backwards. When Inuyasha attempted to attack again, the quick pirate jumped over his head surprisingly and landed gracefully on his two feet. He snarled, "stop running away, you wimp!"

"Inuyasha, stop it!" Kagome yelled from the side.

"Shut up, Kagome! I'm gonna take care of this momma's boy before he can open his mouth again!"

"I thought I told you not to talk to women like that!" Inuyasha was completely caught off-guard when a fist made firm contact with his right cheek, sending him flying through the air backwards. The stinging pain on the right side of his face was beginning to spread to other parts.

Before he had time to catch himself, Inuyasha crashed into a garden wall, knocking the entire structure over as the trunk snapped. 'Oh god, not in front of her…' His body finally gave in to the force and stopped moving when he lay sprawled above the plant, his eyes glowing red with rage.

"Kouga, stop that right now!" Kagome yelled, her face fuming as she rushed over to the injured captain, who was now picking himself off the ground crossly. "You're hurting him!"

"You should consider yourself lucky, you filthy dog. This pretty girl here just saved you from a beating." Kouga smirked at him, relishing in all his glory.

"Stop that, Kouga!" She repeated, helping the now even more pissed-off man by pulling him up. He roughly shook her off. "You don't have to say things like that!"

"I only say them because they're true. Isn't that right, Inuyasha?" He pointed out and glared at his enemy again. "But it looks like we can finally finish our match without interruptions."

"What the hell are you talking about? Have I met you before?" Inuyasha landed swiftly back on his two feet and stomped forwards, shoving Kagome behind him. The captain took another two steps closer and cracked his knuckles loudly. "Tell me where we met."

"Does the navy interrupting our battle sound familiar? My crew were about to sack yours when the damn sea fleet got in my way. I would have loved to sink your piece of shit craft."

"What did you say?" How dare this guy insult his beloved ship… even if it was his old ship no one had a right to insult it. It went against his policies. Suddenly everything this man had just said scrambled in his brain until it cleared. "I remember now… the Wolf Gang pirates… you're the captain."

"Good to see you remembered." He winked quickly at Kagome, who ignored him.

"Kagome, stay back." He growled when he spotted the wink of Kouga's eye and his veins began to emerge from his skin. "I remember it, only you guys weren't winning, you were far from that. We had your guys pummelled to the ground and whimpering."

Kouga snarled and challenged back, the anger evident in his brown eyes. "My men never whimper. If anybody whimpers - it's your puppy crew crying for their mommas!"

"I've had enough of the bullshit you're spewing out of your mouth!" Inuyasha immediately raised a fist and was just about to swing it at Kouga's cocky face when suddenly he felt his entire arm being pulled back. Kagome had disobeyed his rules and latched onto his arm, disabling him from striking the other captain. "Kagome, what are you doing?"

"Don't get started again, Inuyasha." She insisted, lightly tugging on his sleeve now. Kagome had had enough of watching these two idiots quarrelling like five-year-olds. "You know I hate it when you fight."

"Kagome doesn't like it, Inuyasha. So why don't you cut it out?" Kouga jeered from the side with a sneer on his face. Watching the rough Inuyasha being stopped by a woman was not something seen everyday.

His enemy's comment struck an ego-nerve in his body. "Christ, Kagome! Stop controlling what I do! Fighting is the only way I can relieve some of this anger inside me right now!"

She could not believe this guy. First he shows absolutely no compassion towards her when she is attacked by the harlot and her first kiss is stolen by a woman. And now when she tries to stop him from abusing himself and somebody else he claims she's too controlling? She screeched, "Forget it. Kill yourself. I don't give a shit anymore!"

"Will you stop screaming? You're hurting my ears!"

That was the final straw. "I can't believe you! How dare you act like this to me! Ever since I've accepted this life you've been nothing but cold and mean toward me!"

"Me?!" He turned his full attention to the screaming woman now, the wolf captain completely forgotten. "You're the one that just hit me in the ribs, woman! Do you realize how much that hurt?"

She folded her arms over her chest with a huff. "Well, you deserved that."

"What the hell did I do anyway?"

Kagome took a deep, cleansing breath, and bit her teeth together sharply. "Why did you do nothing when that woman kissed me without my consent? You didn't stand up for me, you didn't smack her, you didn't even follow me here until I was already being comforted by a total stranger!" She pointed to Kouga without looking his way.

The black-haired pirate standing next to the arguing couple pointed out, "You know, Kagome, if you absolutely cannot tolerate him, I am more than willing to bring you along, where I can be a real man that treats you better than this violent guy."

"Shut your face, asshole." Inuyasha swore under his breath. If he weren't so into his argument with her he would have beaten this guy ten feet into the ground by now. But he was worried: would Kagome really choose to go with Kouga if given the chance?

"What do you say, Kagome?" Kouga asked hopefully.

"I…" She glared at her captain, who was watching her desperately. "I don't know…."

Inuyasha stared at her. "Jeez, Kagome! I'm here now, is that not enough? What that stupid woman did to you was eye-catching, and everyone in the room was staring! I don't even know why you have a reason to be angry about that little thing!"

She stiffed up and swallowed loudly, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't. "Want to know why, you inconsiderate jerk? It was my first kiss, okay?" Her voice weakened slightly and she finally convinced herself to give up arguing with him.

"What?" The captain jerked back, shocked by her frail reply.

"Yes, it was my first kiss. That's why I was angry. Is that an acceptable reason for you?"

Inuyasha scratched his head and stumbled forward. "Shit, Kagome. I didn't know…"

"No you didn't." Kouga filled in for her, becoming quite the nuisance in their presence. "I thought the amazing Inuyasha would know that a woman cherishes her first kiss, and does not want it to be shared with a whore. What were you doing the entire time?"

"Would you stay out of this?" Inuyasha was at his limit with this loudmouth, and before anybody like Kagome could stop him, he snapped around and whipped up his arm, crashing his knuckles into Kouga's jaw with only a fraction of his strength to avoid distorting his face.

"Erg…" The injured man cupped his jaw with his hands and sat up from the ground where he had fallen. He had heard rumours about how strong this ass was… seemed like they weren't exactly rumours.

She sighed. "Inuyasha, I thought I told you…"

"I thought I told you to shut up." He snapped, and before she could even blink her eyes he had her hard-pressed tightly against a plant wall. She was breathing deeply and trying to ignore the pine needles poking into her back all at once, having being completely taken off-guard by his sudden action. "Listen, Kagome, I'm sorry."

"Inu - " She gripped his shoulders with both hands to drive him back, but his strength overpowered hers. Inuyasha's nimble fingers found their way around Kagome's sexy corset, running one hand up the length of her white, smooth leg under her black dress.

She shivered at his intrusive touch. Before she knew it, she began to gasp for air like crazy, having never been shown such dangerous things before. Oddly enough, she was glowing in the sensations he was provoking and nothing could be seen outside her and Inuyasha's world in the night.

Not even Kouga.

Then he kissed her. The lips she had often been staring at touched hers, and unlike the soft and tender lips of the woman, Inuyasha's were gruffer and far more dominant. She actually panted when he began to lick her mouth and suck lightly on her bottom lip. "Ohhhh…"

"What the hell are you doing, Inuyasha? I'm still standing here!" Kouga interrupted angrily, and he was almost unable to watch that brute ravage the beautiful woman. Although she sure appeared to be enjoying it.

Kagome whimpered when she felt the cool air on her lips; his warm mouth had left hers. The feelings she had felt in the pit of her stomach when he had forced her roughly against the wall like that almost felt like an explosion. His touch was addictive, unlike that woman's.

'I can't believe I actually kissed him. And in front of Kouga!'

She sprang forward and covered her face in shame, why did people always have to see her in such situations? If anything was done like this on her island they would have definitely shamed her for her 'disgusting behaviour'.

But she was living as a pirate now and she could do anything she wanted.

"Did you see that, Kouga?" Inuyasha shouted at his competitor with a wide, satisfied grin on his face.

"Kind of hard not to when it was right in front of me."

"I hope that teaches you to back off her!" He said proudly, displaying a beam that reached from ear to ear. Inwardly, he cursed Kouga for even being there and interrupting such a good thing.

"Now that I can't do." He stated firmly. "Kagome's a stunningly gorgeous woman, and her personality is strong and fiery, not to mention just a few minutes ago she was entirely pure. I've taken a whole new liking to this woman. And that fact won't change."

"Thanks Kouga…" She was still too embarrassed by their earlier display.

Inuyasha growled. "Don't you have to get back to your crew now? I would more than happily fight you but Kagome probably wouldn't want me to hurt you. So go."

"However," He interrupted, "I will act like a gentleman and leave. I have a mission to accomplish anyway. That reminds me, Inuyasha. How far along are you to finding the Shikon no tama?"

"That's not of your concern. We're enemies here."

"It sounds to me like you guys are still floating about. I'll let you know that my men have already found a pretty sure-thing location. I guess kids just aren't cut out to be navigators, are they?"

Inuyasha twitched. He had never met a more infuriating guy in his life. "Shippou is a genius. He's known for having more knowledge of maps and navigating than many top guides. And I know for a fact that your old man navigator is not a reliable one. Can he still see what he's drawing?"

"I guess we'll see when one of us gets our hands on it. Which won't be you." Kouga commented, waving a good-bye to Kagome before disappearing from the garden in a flash.

"What a cocky asshole…" Inuyasha mumbled, "I wanted to punch his face in."

"He's not so bad. I mean, he did give me his coat when I was cold. I still have it." She pointed to the layer of clothing on her. "It was pretty kind of him I suppose."

"Take that off."

"No, I don't have anything nice to wear besides my worn-down clothes. I want to keep this!" She argued.

"I don't want anything of his on my boat. It'll be a curse and we'll all sink!"

"You and your superstitions!" She grumbled, placing her hands on her hips. When she stared at him, the image of him touching her soothingly and kissing her lips made her face flush a deep red. "Uh… "

"Stupid wolf gang pirates, think they're all so great - " He was too involved in cursing them that he failed to notice her face. "They can't possibly have the location of the Shikon already. If Kouga gets his hands on that first…" He would gain the power to do anything he wished.

"Captain, quick!" A younger boy from their ship hurdled over a short bush out of nowhere and yelled, "Captain, sir, please come back into the inn. One of our men broke out in a fight with a wolf gang pirate member!"

"Who is it?" Inuyasha snapped.

"It's Hojo, sir. And I believe he's losing." The boy informed him quickly.

"How embarrassing. And why in the world is Hojo of all people getting into a fight?"

"The woman that kissed the madam on our ship," He spotted Kagome watching nearby and pointed at her, "that kissed her – well, the whore went after Hojo and her tough ex-boyfriend seemed to see it, and now he's really, really beating up Hojo!"

"Ouch…" Even an infuriating guy like Hojo didn't deserve it, Kagome thought miserably.

Suddenly, a loud 'crack' and the most ear-shattering scream she had ever heard pierced through the air, and the three of them wasted absolutely no time making their way back into the tavern, where a massive problem was bound to arise.

* * *

AN: Well, there you go. Some fluff for all you Inu/Kag smut readers out there, and the introduction of pirate captain Kouga. This should get interesting… not to mention what happens to poor little Hojo back in the tavern.

I'd like to once again thank my wonderful reviewers; you guys are absolutely the most encouraging readers and I am so encouraged by your criticism and comments. I dedicate this chapter to all you guys.


	14. Famish

AN: Wow! How quick of an update is this?

Note: I am currently looking for an efficient Beta-reader to help me edit my chapters. If you think you're qualified, email me or leave it in a review, and I'll contact you.

Pirate Pash

Chapter 14 – Famish

* * *

"What do you think that sound was?" Kagome asked hurriedly, trying to keep up with the captain a couple paces ahead of her. What she had heard earlier sounded like a fairly feminine wail, but yet it was low enough to determine it came from a man.

"Who knows?" Inuyasha snapped and continued to run, leaping over three stone steps at a time. He snarled angrily when thoughts of Kouga flew through his head, "I just want to know what that asshole is up to now…"

"There they are!" The young boy pointed ahead of them, where they could see a great crowd gathered around two guys, both facing the other with frowns on their faces.

The only thing wrong with the picture was that one of the men was sprawled on the floor with his knees bent, and his arm was twisted beyond recognition. Hojo was quietly sobbing and refusing to turn to face his distorted body part.

"Oh my god…" Kagome breathed and practically had to shield her face at the sight of his mangled arm twisted ninety-degrees backwards. "Oh Hojo…" Despite him being an annoying guy who pestered her constantly, her feminine instincts made her want to comfort him at the sight of his pained expression.

She turned to glace at the captain next to her, and she gasped at his emotionless features. He didn't seem to give a rat's ass about poor Hojo writhing on the floor, but rather he was interested in the man who had done it to poor Hojo.

"Hey bastard…" Inuyasha growled at the pleased man, who looked to be in his twenties and very clean-cut. His blond hair was framing his thin face and he had on a conceited smile. "What are you smiling at?"

"I'm amused with this wimp you call your crew." He snickered again when Hojo started to whimper. "He's no better than a little girl! You are captain Inuyasha - I presume? I must say your delicate crew had me in for quite a surprise…"

"Bastard…what's your name?" He snarled. "Are you part of the Wolf Gang Pirates?"

"My name is Hiroshi. And yes, I work under captain Kouga, and for the strongest group alive."

"Don't get smug with me." Inuyasha fumed and stomped a few steps closer, ignoring the stares at his back from the opposing crew. 'Damn wolves…' He stepped even closer now and glared at Hojo with an unsympathetic look. "What happened?"

"Inu – Inuyasha...! I… I'm so sorry – I…" The pitiful man lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to block out the stern stare of his captain. A shock of pain ran through his right arm again and he naturally turned to look, almost throwing up at the sight of his zigzagged arm. "I…"

"Suck it up like a man and spit it out." He demanded. He would rather kick Hojo when he was down than show any sympathy in front of Kouga and his men, who were probably all watching to see what he would do.

"I'm sorry, sir… I… I don't know why…" Hojo could no longer contain the burst of pain and screamed again, and this time his deafening cries sent Kagome to her feet.

She scurried quickly past baffled prostitutes and pirates from both sides, and moved into the clearing at the center. Kagome slowly bent down and kneeled next to Hojo, who looked up at her with weepy eyes before turning away.

'He's embarrassed…'

"Hojo? Don't worry, I'll get you out of here."

"Hey sweetie, don't bother with him." The man who had inflicted the pain on Hojo in the first place chuckled at her, no doubt mistaking her for one of the harlot girls. "Why don't you leave him there and help me out later, beautiful?"

She had already brought her hands under Hojo's arms and was about to drag the poor boy away when she looked up in shock. "Excus - I'm sorry?"

Hiroshi paced forwards slowly and examined her face for a while before pressing his large boot onto Hojo's chest. "Oof!" He knocked Hojo's limp body out of her grasp and harshly onto the ground. Kagome, along with everyone else in the crowd, gasped at what he had just done. Kicking someone when they were down was not proper pirate conduct.

"Stop that!" She screeched, crouching down to check on Hojo, who was struggling for air after being knocked in the stomach. "Don't touch him!"

"Aww… he can take it, hey, wha-?" Hiroshi's smug smile was instantly wiped off his face when at once both his arms were pulled back and squeezed unmercifully tight. He spun around and gulped when he realized one hand was being grasped by his own captain, and the other by that Inuyasha guy.

"Hiroshi, you should know better than to hit a man when he's down." Kouga spat, tightening his grip extremely tight on his arm. He pointed at Kagome, who was staring in utter astonishment. "And keep your hands off her."

Inuyasha growled and tightened his hold as well, digging his nails into this filthy man's flesh. He seethed, "If you lay another disgusting finger on her or my crew… I'll have to kill you."

No one was expecting Inuyasha to grab so tightly onto Hiroshi's arm that when he twisted it only slightly backwards, a loud snap could be heard - followed by a menacing scream.

"You should be thankful I didn't break your right arm." He smirked and dropped the arm, causing Hiroshi to crash onto the floor next to Hojo, holding onto his left arm with his life.

Inuyasha barely gave the jerk another look before turning to his main opponent across from him. "You should teach your men what fair play is."

Everyone was speechless. The last time their captains conversed like this a huge battle broke out and dozens of men either died or flew overboard. What if it happened this time in the house?

"Listen, Inuyasha. Maybe you should tell this asshole here not to mess with another man's woman."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Funny… I could say the same about you."

Since when did the captain openly consider her 'his woman'? He either really wanted to irritate Kouga, or he was already too drunk to know what words were accidentally slipping out of his mouth.

"Go on Kouga! Punch him!" His men were shouting behind him.

Not wanting to lose to the Wolf Gang, Hiten, Manten and a couple others began to root for their own captain with hoots and shouts, waving their hands madly in the air. "Kill the wolf, Inuyasha! Kill the wolf!"

"KILL THE DOG! KILL THE DOG!" The other side was starting to get even more ballistic in their vocal war. "SLIT HIS NECK! SLIT HIS NECK!"

Kagome stared meekly as the shouting erupted to an unbearable level, and she could not understand the excitement these people gained from shouting profanities at each other. Maybe it was just a male thing? It didn't seem like it… to her it looked like it was taking them on some sort of high.

"Hear that? My crew believe in a rematch between us after all this time. We don't believe we got a proper victory last time!" Kouga sneered and pushed his black hair out of his face. "I'm going to kill your men and bring Kagome with me."

"Like that would even happen in the first place!" He formed a fist and nodded at the crew backing his every move. "The day we lose to you crap is the day I lose my head!"

"I can arrange that… and with a smile on my face!" Kouga threatened, holding up some sort of a hand signal at his crew. His vicious-appearing pack grinned and reached for their weapons tied at their waists, and the moment Inuyasha's group caught sight of it, they also reached for theirs.

"Go to hell, you bastard!" Inuyasha commanded, pulling out his precious sword from his hip and holding the massive blade in front of him.

All the prostitutes were now quickly filing out the doors, but some were blocked by the packs of fuming men.

Kagome did not follow the girls. Instead, she stood there speechless when Inuyasha and Kouga went at it, as well as the rest of the crew. Inuyasha's crew seemed to outnumber Kouga's, so in a couple instances Inuyasha's men had two on Kouga's one.

Everywhere swords were clinging left and right, and she winced when bad memories of the first battle flew into her brain. 'I don't want to see anyone else die…' She backed up when a body flew to the right of her with a bloodbath pouring from its' stomach.

"Sango?" She called out, thankful Kouga already pointed her out so that no one from either side would purposely harm her. Although that blade got a little too close for comfort… "Sango! Where are you?"

She spotted her friend not fighting as she had expected, but rather helping a girl crawl up from the floor after being knocked down by the hilt of a sword. "Quick! Go out there!" Her friend yelled at the girl who quickly complied.

Oddly enough, she was the same girl Miroku was flirting with earlier.

"Sango!" Kagome took one last fleeting look at Inuyasha, who was having a pretty even duel with the leader of the Wolves. Miroku had occupied himself as well, defending a fair damsel who had been knocked down by a brute from Kouga's side. They were engaged in a dangerous swordfight as well.

She hated this. She despised this fighting. If anyone she knew got killed she probably wouldn't be able to contain her emotions. She couldn't stand this. 'Please stop…'

Sango didn't seem to hear or see her, as she was leading other girls out of the building as efficiently as possible. Both she and Kagome did manage to see one of the harlot women become an accidental target to a loose blade.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Kagome screamed and covered her face; a sword that had flown out of one man's hand by accident struck a woman through the back of her neck whilst she was trying to escape. Her friends began to scream and tear up as well.

The girl hadn't stood a chance. She coughed once before sputtering and crashing into a tangle, the red warm liquid oozing from her neck and washing onto the floors; the thought that she wouldn't live to see who killed her made Kagome want to burst out in tears for the unfortunate woman.

She quickly spun her head around again to check on Inuyasha, and this time the captains were not as even-handed as before. He had a huge scrape down his upper arm, and Kouga had a spot grazed on his thigh – although both did not seem to notice.

When another badly injured body flew past her head, she had had enough. Sango's beautiful clothes were splattered with droplets of blood, and everyone looked about as savage as a starved lion.

She took a deep breath. "STO - "

"The navy are coming!" She was interrupted by a lower voice, but his was definitely more efficient in getting everyone to stop what they were doing to notice him. "My business has been trashed, and I have already called the Royal Navy! They will be here in less than half an hour, so I suggest you all leave here peacefully and quickly."

Every face froze to stare at the bald old man standing near the bar table. "I hope you all understand."

"Taki? What is the meaning of this?" Inuyasha looked up from his exhausting fight with Kouga to shout at the old man who had promised him a good time with his crew. "How dare you report us to the navy! We had an agreement!"

Kouga stopped his attacks to also absorb the information.

"I would not call our agreement sacking my home and business, murdering my girls, and starting a full-on pirate war here! This was a mistake!" He shook his head sadly and spotted the still prostitute with the blade through her neck. "I should never have let pirates into my business…"

"Argh, forget it, old man." Inuyasha snapped and rubbed his neck. "I apologize for this. It was completely unpredicted."

"Well, I don't have any more time to waste here." Kouga said loudly, causing his men to back from their attacks and re-sheath their swords. "We need to get out of here!" He turned to the senior with a scowl. "Unless of course, old man, you're bluffing, in which case I might still have to kill you…"

Taki glanced right and left worriedly, a thin layer of sweat lined on his face. The captain of the Wolf Gang Pirates did not have a polite reputation around here. "Oh – of course I did! I telegraphed the navy five minutes ago! They'll be here in no time to - "

"Shut your mouth." Kouga sneered, grabbing a hold of the collar of Taki's shirt and throwing him against the wall of the bar. The old man groaned and slowly slid down the wall, his white hair shielding his face. "Now I won't get to finish my fight with this dog-shit and the navy are coming after us!"

"I had to – I… I…"

"If you had just learned to keep your mouth shut you would have kept your life." He threatened, his own men beginning to scurry out the doors toward their vessel. Kouga raised a fist blatantly. "Say your prayers, old man."

"Kouga, no!"

"What is it - ?" He spun around, pestered that he had only thrown his punch half-way. Who dared to tell him what to do?

"Keep your hands off the old man, asshole." Inuyasha stepped in front of Kagome, who had just called desperately for the wolf captain to stop. "I mean it."

"Inuyasha… we have to go!" Miroku nudged his friend from behind, in the midst of everyone running for their lives out the wooden doors. He had lugged the sleeping Hojo over his back and was preparing to run himself. "I don't think Taki was bluffing about the Navy!"

"Please, Kouga?" She interrupted, praying he would be gullible enough to fall for her sympathy act.

"Err… fine." He withdrew his hand quickly and spun around. "But only because Kagome wanted me to."

"Come on, Kagome. We're off." Sango appeared out of nowhere and snatched her by the arm. "Now."

Inuyasha nodded and followed the two women, leaving Kouga there with Taki in a confused and battered state. He hurried after Inuyasha and sped side-by-side. "Hey, dog-face! This is far from finished!"

"I'll finish you off next time. And if the navy stop us again then I'll just have to forget them and maim you first!"

"I'll see you to that." Kouga suddenly picked up his pace and waved two fingers in front of his face in a good-bye motion. "See ya, Kagome."

"Bye." She did not catch a second look at him, because within seconds he had caught up to the front of his crew, who were already quite far ahead of them.

"What an arrogant bastard." Inuyasha mumbled before running to the front to lead his pack of rushed men. "Sonofa - "

Once her captain was nowhere to be seen, she lifted her skirt slightly to have easier access on the steps. The thought that they were running for their lives was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. "Sango, if the navy catch us, what do you think - "

Sango forced a smile. "You'll wish you were dead if they actually manage to get their hands on you."

Kagome finally understood what cold-sweat was. "That's far from reassuring…"

"Don't worry about it. Inuyasha is famous for dodging the navy ships. And if worse comes to worse, our bombs are far superior to theirs, so we'd sink those white-suited snobs before you could even see them."

Kagome sighed. "I really hope you're not exaggerating."

* * *

"Miss Kagome, how was your outing?" Sogo asked in his most pleasant voice, or as pleasantly as a starved man hanging on a pole with feathers tarred onto his body could. Kagome stood near the bottom, resting against the pole while everyone hurried to their stations to get the ship started.

"Awful. Inuyasha and this man named Kouga started a huge brawl in the place and the owner called the navy - "

"Kouga of the Wolf Gang Pirates?" Another asked suddenly, "I'm surprised he didn't bite Kouga's head off!"

"He practically did. Hojo got badly distorted and he's resting up now in his bunk." She sighed and glanced at the five men again. "Are you okay up there?"

"We're alright. It hasn't been too long…"

"But you'll die without any water. I know from my own experience that a couple days without water and you'll famish!" She added frantically, relieved that no one else was aboard at the moment to spot her conversing with them. Everyone was scrambling madly below deck, revving up the ship.

She was long forgotten and left aboard with nil to do.

"We're actually wishing we had stayed behind in battle…" One man croaked out, his voice weak from the dehydration. "It would probably be less painful than this."

Kagome sighed and felt another heavy twinge of guilt. Oh, why did she have to get so involved in situations that had absolutely nothing to do her? Why couldn't she have learned to be as heartless as everyone else aboard? She cleared her throat, "I will be right back."

She sped past the corridors and found her way into the kitchen, checking left and right before stepping into the large room. Sango had told her secretly that the water was stored underneath the bread shelf, something the majority of men didn't and couldn't know.

"Here you are…" She mumbled to herself and crouched down next to the enormous water tank, grabbing a bucket from nearby and waiting idly for the clear liquid to fill. "Hurry up…"

If anyone saw her stealing this bucket of water, or in their case, life source, she was sure her punishment would probably be equally as degrading as the five men's were. 'Oh dear god… don't let anyone see this. Thank god they're all too occupied…'

The bucket was finally filled to the brim, and she quickly switched off the latch and hurried off. Unfortunately, running with an excruciating heavy bucket slowed her down, and she smiled in relief when she made it back to the top floor without anybody in view.

The men did not notice her arriving, because they were all watching with interest the ignition of the ship and the slow but steady takeoff from shore. Kagome gulped and sped up to them, realizing that within minutes somebody would return to the main floor and catch her in the act.

"Hey, I brought you guys some water!" She called out, dropping her bucket and beginning to stack the barrels again. "Quick, before anyone sees!"

They all turned to stare down at her in shock, but were not too proud to refuse the water. Their throats were almost completely devoid of liquid and their stomachs were beginning to cave inwards.

"Miss Kagome, why…?" Sogo pressed, staring blankly at the girl stacking the barrels as quickly as she could to reach them.

"I don't have time to explain." She looked up at the moon and prayed that nobody would be able to see her suspicious form in the shadows. "Just drink this."

The young woman managed to balance herself steadily and braced one hand on the pole, the other reaching for the bucket of water. When she finally reached them, she looked around one last time before holding out the water for the first punished man.

"God bless you…" He muttered silently and took a chug, the liquid slipping past his mouth and dribbling down his chin.

"Hey! Save some for the rest of us!" Sogo was quick to complain, and Kagome chose to give him the water next. After he was done drinking, she proceeded to do the same with the others, who drank so vigorously she felt a reassuring sense of pride. Maybe this wasn't a mistake.

She had spoken too soon…

"Who's up there?" Before the last man could finish off his remains of the bucket, a voice appeared from behind and startled her, causing her stack of buckets to shake unsteadily.

"Eep!"

The buckets could no longer support the girl, and she instantly grabbed hold of a man when they gave out below her. She tightened her hold on the man's waist, and turned to acknowledge the intruder.

Manten.

"You! What were you doing up there with the prisoners?" He demanded, storming up to the girl raised on the mast, a scowl drawn on his face. When she ignored him, he raised his voice. "Tell me what you were doing up there!"

She bit her lips and drew blood, praying that her muscles would not give out on her. But the pangs of soreness in her arms told her that she would not have a lot of time. "I'm not doing anything! Can you let me down?"

"The captain should know about this." He stated. "He should know that you're secretly up there mingling with the trash at night!"

"Inuyasha won't care! He's too busy trying to get the ship out of the harbour!"

Manten longed to know what this woman was up to. Was she going on secret rendezvous in the dead of night with these blokes? Or was she trying to set them loose? Either way, he had to make his captain see this girl for the tramp she was.

"Just tell me what you're doing and I promise to let you down!" The hideous man lied through gritted teeth. 'After our captain sees you up there, of course.'

"… I told you, I don't know! Please just let me down and I'll explain!" She called back, scrambling for an excuse and cringing when her sweaty fingers started to loosen their hold. Inuyasha could not see this. "Please, Manten!"

All of a sudden, fate was against her because the water bucket had fallen out of her grasp and made a soft 'crash' sound on the wooden surface. Oh no…

He grinned when the clear evidence landed by his feet. "I would love to help you out, my dear. But I have been getting my share of jagged rocks in the face lately. I think it's time I get a little payback, and what more perfect than an opportunity than this?"

"You're horrible." She muttered.

"Now if you'll excuse me, maybe Inuyasha can get the answers out of you faster than I can. I'll be back soon. Oh, and unless you want to break a leg, I would hold on tight."

'What a slimy snake…' Kagome cursed him silently as his round figure made its way back down the stairs to report her to the captain. She sighed. 'Shit. I should have minded my own business…'

"Don't worry, we'll back you up." She was already nearing tears when she heard the words slip out of their mouths. "But let's hope Inuyasha doesn't get as angry as he usually does with the theft of food and water."

"…." Kagome mumbled to herself, a little uneased with only the back-up assistance of five feathered men. They had returned to the boat for only moments and here she was digging her own grave again.

"Kagome, is that you?"

She spotted Miroku and Sango piling through the doors first, which was a little bit of a relief. Next followed Shippou, who was a couple heads shorter than the others but looked equally as bewildered. Manten and Hiten proceeded in next, and finally Inuyasha stepped onto the main level of his ship.

"Wait!" She could practically hear what they were going to say. "Let me explain first!"

"See, captain?" Manten asked with the most pleased smile on his face. "That's the water bucket she dropped over there. I believe this woman is sneaking out in the middle of the night with our precious water and feeding it to the prisoners! Can you believe it?"

"Miss Kagome?" Miroku asked hopefully. "Is what Manten saying true?"

She swallowed and shut her eyes securely, blocking out the invasive stares of the people. "I – I… I can't explain it, I.. I don't know."

"Shut up, bit - woman!" Hiten shouted, correcting himself when he remembered how his poor brother was beaten. "If you don't have a valid reason to defend yourself - than you have no excuse but to declare yourself guilty. Is that not right, Inuyasha?"

"She was an innocent!" Sogo and the others yelled. "We asked her to do this for us."

"Shut your mouths!" Hiten commanded, and the men did so at the strict voice of the second-in-command.

"Kagome." Inuyasha asked sternly, and she was unable to read his face. "Are you going to fall?"

She shuddered and felt a sense of disgust with herself. They had treated her with more than enough trust, and she had turned her back on them within seconds. Her hands shook slightly and she looked down. "Yes…"

He sighed and walked forwards, holding his arms out as he reached the mast. "Jump down. We'll talk when you're down."

"But…"

"I said," The captain repeated impatiently. "Jump down."

She decided to listen to him, and holding her old green skirt more tightly to her, she inhaled and released the man she was grabbing onto. 'What if he doesn't catch me?' At first her stomach seemed to sink when she dropped, but it wasn't long before she fell straight into the arms of the captain.

Any girl would have felt speechless had he not yelled at her straight afterwards.

"What the hell were you thinking? Did I not clearly say to keep away from the prisoners in their week of sentence? God, Kagome! I'm starting to think you're a complete moron!" He screamed, the angriest she'd ever seen him with her, which was saying a lot.

How come in every situation they ended up in an argument?

"…giving these idiots our water! Do you not realise that we're running short already? Sea water isn't exactly clean, Kagome. And thanks to that Taki bastard, we didn't get a chance to buy rations or supplies! Now our cupboards are bare! Is that what you wanted, Kagome?"

"What? Is that true, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked quietly. "But -"

"Of course it's true! Have you noticed how fucking empty our kitchen is now? Christ!" He swore, angrily tearing at his hair. A pirate's worst fear was not having enough food to last the voyage. "And we can't even stop at a town because the navy are just looming around somewhere!"

"Inuyasha, why didn't you inform me of this?" Hiten asked, offended that the captain had not shared that crucial piece of information with him. "Why did you keep it to yourself?"

"I didn't!" The frustrated captain screamed. "We were supposed to get it from the neighbour town next to the harlot house, but who knew that wolf-crap was going to show up and get us butted out?"

"Well, I believe this woman should be punished to the full extent of your own rules, Inuyasha." Manten pointed out and Kagome gaped at him. "After all, if we tie her up there with the others we can set aside some provisions."

"But Inuyasha," Kagome convinced, "I had to give them water! When I lived on my island I saw people living only on water but those without it died within days. I was only stealing the water so that the men could last without dying…"

"Are you finished yet?" Hiten snapped, and Kagome stared at him evilly. "Your excuses are of no good to us." The way he said it made her feel all the eyes on her were suspicious and loathing ones.

"Inuyasha, I swear I would not take any extra for myself…" She pleaded, although that was a half-truth. Her mouth trembled from the thought of having her skin tarred with the skin-burning asphalt. "I just didn't want to see anyone else die…"

He looked just as uncomfortable as she did, and in front of his most important crew, he had to watch what he said. It was a well-known fact that Hiten was waiting for the precise opportunity to knock him off his high horse.

"Are we really going to starve now, captain?" Miroku asked to distract him from making his decision.

"Everyone shut up!" He shouted, turning around to yell at him rather than the worried girl. "I still have to figure something out. This day has been a fucking disaster. First Kouga, now this."

"Inuyasha, the girl - " Manten repeated, obviously still holding some sort of a grudge against her.

"Oh yea." He smacked a fist into his hand and walked up to the alarmed girl, who was holding her hands in front of her as if she could push him away. Inuyasha smirked. "I'll have to take care of you first."

* * *

AN: I have decided to answer a few questions from my readers to clarify the story a little, because I think I owe the reviewers an explanation:

_How long does it take for you to update?_

It really depends. Like this chapter for instance, I just sat down and finished off the 19 pages in one sitting. Other times I can't seem to write until I find the inspiration lurking around somewhere.

_What will happen with the Kagome-Inuyasha-Kouga love triangle?_

Inuyasha will definitely be hooking up with Kouga in the next chapter. No, Kouga is gone for now but he should be making another appearance soon.

_Are Sesshoumaru and Naraku going to be in this?_

That depends on my sluggish imagination. I'll see when the story progresses if they're necessary. In the end, your question is still not answered.

_The boiling hot tar would char their skin, leaving it raw and painful, especially after the tar is peeled off. The feathers of course are meant to be embarrassing, but the burning in combination with the being tied to the mast for so long would likely kill them, and if they did survive, would be good for absolutely nothing for months on end. Right?_

I don't suppose I would know, seeing as I have never been tarred before. I read that up on pirate information website somewhere, and according to them, that is what they used to do. But have you considered maybe Inuyasha is trying to kill them?

And (drumroll)… the question of the day:

_When Kagome didn't know what the men were doing pulling the women away how did she know what a whore or prostitute were?_

:Laughs nervously: Um… that is a great question. Very thorough. Kagome knows what a prostitute is, but was confused at first when she arrived at the whorehouse because she had yet to see a real one.

And remember, if you are interested in beta-ing my stories, drop a line and let me know!

Next chapter is called "Assassination Attempts", Will Hojo attempt to murder Shippou? You'll just have to see for yourself.


	15. Assassination Attempts

AN: I think lots of readers got confused by my "will Hojo attempt to murder Shippou?" comment at the end of the last chapter. It was supposed by be a joke, but I guess I'll never be able to pull off anything funny. So no, that will not be happening. Or will it?

I'm going to stop now before people start thinking that again.

On a side note, big hugs to those who offered to become my beta-reader, and especially to those who had to put up with my annoying test beta (you know who you are). However, after much deciding my new fantastic beta will be…

Unicorn-Hime!

So now that's all put behind us, onto the next chapter!

**Pirate Pash**

**Chapter 15 - Assassination Attempts**

* * *

She twiddled with her fingers and leaned back against the metal bar, humming softly to herself. It was quite cold now, and there was no longer sun shining through the small pane of glass. 

'I wonder when Sango's going to be here…'

Kagome finally bored of the twiddling and wandered about the room, looking for something else to occupy her until they came around to check up on her. She stepped over the shattered dresser and plopped down. 'Bored…'

Staring at the aged lock on the door, she smiled to herself and decided to test it again just to assure herself. When she lightly tugged on it with her hand, the metal snapped open as if a baby had only touched it.

It had not even been a day yet, and she still hadn't left the room. She wasn't sure she would be brave enough to.

Inuyasha's words from yesterday night rang in her ears. "I'll have to take care of you first…" When she had heard that her heart almost burst. With so many pairs of eyes on her, she could barely relate to Inuyasha. How come that always had to happen with him in public?

However, one thing she found somewhat better. When she moved around on deck, instead of putting up with the accusing and hateful stares from the crew she was so used to, she could safely say half of them looked as if they sympathised with her.

Yet barely anyone spoke to her.

She had said back to him, this time her face completely screwed up in anger. "What are you doing, Inuyasha?" The young woman had asked, her fingers twiddling like just now. "I thought I said…"

"You…" He shut his eyes abruptly. "You'll be staying in the Brollet Room in the basement, alone, where the food will be sent to you in limited portions. None of the crew will speak to you down there."

"What?" She had her fists already balled up to smack him on the head. "What the hell is the Brollet Room?"

"Watch your language around the captain, woman." Hiten had muttered with a sigh. He paced next to the captain. "Once a barbarian, always a barbarian, I suppose."

"What do you mean by - "

"The Brollet Room, Kagome," Inuyasha ignored the comment and stressed her name, folding his arms across his chest. "Is a large room in the basement where you will not be in contact with anyone else for as long as the punishment lasts." His tone of voice wasn't cold, but she couldn't quite read it. She could barely believe her ears.

"And… and how long would that be?"

"Three days." He said finally. "Three days and you're free to return to the main and lower floors. However, if anyone catches you free and up here during that time your punishment will increase by a week."

"Wha - but that means I'll be locked up – like a prisoner?" She gaped and stared in astonishment. "I… I can't believe this…"

"That's exactly what you are. You should be on your knees thanking Captain Inuyasha for his exceptionally kind treatment towards you." Manten sneered.

"That's enough, Manten." Inuyasha shut him up instantly and turned to face her with a serious frown. "Kagome, I believe you should leave now."

She wasn't overly shocked, yet the pang of hurt remained. "But… but what am I supposed to do down there?"

Manten's brother joined in with the taunting despite Inuyasha's warning. "There are a few rotted corpses down there, and it's located next to the jail. Who knows, there may still be some convicts left in there from Yura's rule. You're allowed to speak with them if you wish."

She shuddered. "Sango… are they kidding?"

"I… I've never been down to this cell, Kagome. But it's all right. I'll bring you your meals…" Her friend's eyes looked worried.

"Oh…" Kagome felt tears burning in her eyes, and forced herself not to blink in case any loose ones escaped. She had to be strong… and not show her qualms in front of Manten or Hiten. She swallowed. 'It's only three days… I'm sure that's the weakest punishment Inuyasha could come up with.'

Even still, she felt like they had taken a flame and lit it under her.

Shippou cut through the silence with a calm question. "Inuyasha, only a few of us have been down there. It's not at all a pretty sight. Maybe you could lock her in another room?"

"No…" He lowered his head and gave her an apologetic look, his eyes slightly lowered; one that was shielded from the others. "She'll live down there. She'll be in her own room."

She couldn't control herself anymore and turned her face away.

"Should I take her downstairs now?" Manten asked with a pleased smile. He hadn't heard such great news in a long time, although the punishment seemed much too light for this kind of crime.

Stealing rations should have deserved a worse sentence than what the five men had to go through.

"No. You're to organize the men to prepare to drop the fishing lines. Shippou, you're to search for an area out of navy observation where we can stop for rations." He turned to the others. "Sango, Miroku and Hiten will return to your posts." 'I'll take her down there myself…'

They had looked doubtful, but bowed anyway. "Yes sir!"

The instant the others scattered out the doorway, she felt an irritating burning in her throat. She had begun to sputter and cough like a child, insistent on getting her words out. "Inu… Inuyasha I really didn't mean to… but they needed it… and the looks Manten and Hiten were giving me – I – I don't know… accusing…"

He watched her for a minute, watching her mumble and cover her face in an attempt to reduce her embarrassment. She turned around so he wouldn't be able to see how affected she had been by his sentence.

Kagome was shocked when her hand was pulled by his and led partially down the stairs so the other men could not see what he was planning to do. She gasped when his hands wrapped around her tightly from behind and securely around her waist.

When Inuyasha rested his head on her right shoulder, and brushed her hair aside, her breath hitched in her throat.

"No – no, Inuyasha. Please don't do this to me… please stop…" Kagome murmured silently, her words barely registering because she was trying to conceal the hurt.

"Do what?" He asked with a frown. "Tell me, what? Kagome?"

"Please… please don't act like this… act like you care for me a lot one second, and the next… the next you act like I'm nothing more than a criminal on this ship. Don't… please don't…"

He gulped and tightened his hold, causing her to gasp again. Inuyasha breathed in her ear, "Kagome, you know why I have to do this… I just wish you hadn't…"

"Hadn't what? Saved your crew from dying?" She snapped back despite their comfortable embrace. "I don't want anything to do with you if you're so different every time I face you. Because I've had enough of that and I don't think I can - "

"I'm sorry." He sighed in his most sincere voice, causing her hairs to stand up. "I'm sorry but you know why I have to do this, don't you? Just understand this, Kagome… don't make this even harder for me…."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reaching her arms up to hold onto his. "Tell me, Inuyasha, is what I'm doing wrong? It seems like every time I try to do something right it backfires… and I just want to maintain my sanity, you know? I don't want to change … as corny as that sounds."

"I know. And that's why I've grown annoyingly attached to you."

She blushed at his comment. "Could that be because I'm the only woman on board other than Sango?"

"That too." He joked and grabbed her hand, leading her down the first long set of stairs, then the second, the latter becoming darker and quieter as they entered a near pitch-black hallway with cells on either side of the wooden floors.

"I'm scared…" She admitted truthfully, the words of Hiten reliving in her ears. Kagome tightened her grip. "Inuyasha… this is worse than my first cell…"

"Don't worry. Just stay in the room and you won't get hurt." He said softly, not doing much to calm her down; especially since she noticed a lone bone lying in the corner of a black room.

"This is a horrible déjà vu," Kagome muttered and stopped when he paused at a large wooden door. He kicked it open roughly and stumbled in, pulling Kagome behind him.

The room itself wasn't too horrible. There was plenty of sunlight and there sat a tiny lone bed in the corner. Other than that the room was bare and dead still. "Hm. See?"

"Don't leave." Her tears had long dried, and she grabbed onto his hand in her most desperate attempt to keep him there. This jerk… he was the first person she had so easily given her feelings to… if he was to lock her in here again and leave… she wouldn't be able to take it.

When he nudged the door closed with the two of them still in the room, her heart quickened. She wasn't really serious… "Wait, Kagome. I'll show you something." He pointed at the crummy bolt on the door, its hinges beginning to rust. "Watch this."

Inuyasha lightly pulled at the lock and it clicked open as if it was never locked in the first place. He grinned and pushed it back into its original position. "See? You're not even locked in. But if you keep it closed, it's locked from the outside. When they bring you the food, you are to pretend as if you are a prisoner and not move. They should have the keys."

"What is the point in that?" She asked, not amused by his attempt to lighten the situation. Kagome mumbled in rich sarcasm. "So I'll be free to roam around the basement. I'm thrilled."

"Don't start with me, woman." He said half-seriously. "At least you'll be able to move around without feeling claustrophobic."

"I WOULD be happy, had you not threatened another week on me if anyone spots me on the lower or main decks! There's nothing here, Inuyasha, but disgusting prison cells and god knows what else!" She shouted angrily, her face beginning to break out in sweat.

"You should be thankful I'm even doing this! You practically have the entire floor to yourself, you unappreciative wench!" The insult slipped out before he had a second to reconsider his words.

"Excuse me?" Her brows furrowed in anger and he could slowly make out the veins popping out of her forehead. "Unappreciative wench?"

"Well, yes…"

The last thing on earth he should have done was insult her in the prime of her anger. Using every ounce of strength in her body, she shoved him in the chest with her hands, sending him crashing into the dusty wall and onto the floor. "GET OUT! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

He picked himself up and felt his head for any bumps. "Christ…calm down, Kagome…"

"I said GET OUT!" Glancing around for anything to hurl at the conceited captain, her eyes landed on the small wooden dresser resting near her feet. This would do.

He spotted her vengeful and furious glare as it connected with the heavy piece of furniture and quickly scampered up. What in the world was wrong with this woman now? "Woah… Kagome, stop whatever you're thinking of doing…"

It was too late. She had already picked up the dresser with both hands and raised it above her head. One strike in the head with that and even he would be in a ton of pain. She quietly whispered into the still air. "Shut up and get out of here before I do."

How dare this weak woman threaten him? And with a dresser no less? But rather than showing her who had more brawn in their childish battle, he decided to back down. It may have been the tears streaming loosely from her eyes that really made him stop. 'She's… she's crying. What the hell did I do now?'

"Leave…" She sobbed, trying to wipe her tears away but not able to because of her occupied hands. He sighed when her arms began to quake from the overbearing weight.

Having seen Kagome cry a few times before, he also noticed this time her face appeared a little… different? Her entire face was flamed and her lips were pouted in an attempt not to sob again. Inuyasha couldn't bare much more of this.

"Fine. Keh!" Not letting her win their argument, he snorted rudely and spun around, slamming the door behind him in the most nonchalant way he could.

He tried to tell himself that he wasn't at all affected by her full-blown cries after the dropping of the dresser onto the floor- the same dresser that could have knocked him senseless. He covered his ears when he picked up the whimpers and sobs that rang through the hallways. 'Stop lying to yourself, you asshole…"

When he stepped back onto the main deck, Sango was standing as if she were gazing at stars at noon. She snapped out of her state when she noticed his return from the basement. "Inuyasha? Is Kagome all right?"

"She's fine." He fibbed again, praying the woman's cries couldn't be heard three floors up. Kagome would probably never forgive him for this… why did he have to be put into such stressful spots all the time?

Sango shook her head disapprovingly. "So when should I bring down her dinner?"

"You're not going to." He pointed out. "I'll be sending somebody else to do that."

"Captain, but why?" Sango raised an eyebrow. "I promised the girl I would."

He looked around a bit in the buzzing of the crowd, and pointed a finger at any random person. His finger landed on a young man, no older than twenty-five, running past them at that exact moment. "Hey you!"

The man stopped and looked over at Inuyasha with a baffled stare. He pointed at himself, and when the captain nodded, made his way over. His hair was quite odd, with only a patch of black spiked up against the rest of his short blond hair. His eyes also looked exhausted, because he had these dark bags resting under his eyes. "You called for me, captain?"

"Ha – have I seen you before?" Inuyasha asked, trying to trace a name with the face. This young man didn't look at all familiar, but there were definitely a few faces on board he had yet to learn.

"Probably, sir." He folded his hands on his lap politely, his head lowered. The man seemed somewhat tense. "I have served you for a while now."

"I don't believe you look too familiar." Sango pointed out, not knowing every single name herself. She really had to learn their forenames one of these days. "Erm… do you know my name?"

"Miss Sango."

"Good." She nodded, pleased with the polite man. But she could never be too sure. "And the name of the other girl aboard?"

"Kagome…"

Inuyasha looked uninterested as he interrupted the two. "Well, whatever. What's your name?"

"My name… is Ginta." He replied softly.

"Ginta? Well, I have a new task for you. You'll be bringing the Kagome girl her meals three times a day to the basement, is that understood?" He handed Ginta the metal set of keys, ones he knew didn't really have a purpose.

"Of course, captain." The man smiled to himself. "I will not let you down."

* * *

Kagome pulled on the lock once again. Then she locked it. Then she unlocked it. She was way too bored for her own good. "Where are you, Sango?" 

She faintly smiled at an earlier memory of Inuyasha's completely shocked face when she lifted that piece of furniture. His eyes seemed to have rolled forwards at the sight of her doing so. Served that bastard right…

Why had she gotten so peeved? Normally his insults didn't get to her that badly, but after this… and then throwing an insult at her… it just didn't work. It was as if her inner wall keeping her sanity bared had been kicked down and stomped on after his comment.

'Keep my sanity? Am I nuts?' She laughed at herself. Maybe she was going a little nuts after all. Inuyasha was irritated with her, and no one else aboard exactly wanted to speak with her. She didn't belong anywhere she went…

Suddenly, loud footsteps stomped towards her room, and Kagome instantly relocked the door. 'What am I doing this for… it's only Sango…' The prisoner sat down and awaited the woman to come in so they could chat for a while.

"Dinner is served."

Wait… Sango didn't have a man's voice. Not only that, but the voice was completely unrecognizable to her ears. It surely wasn't Inuyasha, Miroku, Hojo, or anyone else's voice that she knew. Who was this person?

She watched silently as the crappy lock began to fidget, and after a while, it snapped open and fluttered onto the ground. In walked a skinny young man with a tray in his hands, and once he was in he kicked the door closed. She gaped. "Who are you?"

"I will be responsible for bringing all your meals, ma'am. My name is Ginta."

She stared at the odd-haired man. "Ginta? But wasn't Sango - ?"

"She was, but the captain asked that I do it." He beamed a friendly smile before setting down the tray on the floor before her. "What happened here?" He asked when he noticed the smashed pieces of wood by his feet.

"Oh… nothing much." A tiny smile graced her lips. Something was definitely wrong with this boy. He seemed to be a little too… open? "You could say I got in a little argument."

"Are you sure it was little? Doesn't look that way to me." He began to take the food off the tray and placed it onto the floor for her. "So, how has it been in here so far?"

At first sight she had expected another insensitive jerk, but for the man to speak with her so casually and so amiably – it surprised her. "As pleasant as this filthy little room could be."

"Hm. Figured." Ginta nodded and began to back out of the room, opening the door with one hand as he walked. He picked up the useless lock and reattached it, giving her one last wave before leaving. "Well, I'll be seeing you, Miss Kagome. Stay safe in here."

"Of course." Kagome garbled. This guy was completely foreign, but his presence seemed assuring enough. Yet something sent up a flag at the back of her mind. Why exactly had the captain sent a man down here and not Sango?

* * *

"Inuyasha! Look what I caught!" Shippou reeled in his fishing line composed of wood and string and peered at his fabulous prize: a silver salmon the size of his arm. He was balancing on the edge of the ship. "I told you guys I'd catch a fish first! You all owe me a meal." 

"That doesn't exactly qualify as a win, Shippou." Miroku pointed out, still waiting impatiently for his catch. Perhaps he was cursed with amphibians? "Look at it. It's a Shippou-sized fish. No win."

The child glared at him with the fish proudly held between his hands. "We never agreed to size, jerk. I remember we just said the first person to catch anything."

He sighed. "Maybe you should stick to navigating…"

"No way!" Shippou chuckled and hooked another worm onto his metal hook, flinging it into the ocean. "This is so much better than sitting in that stuffy room looking at books."

"Good going, Shippou." Inuyasha watched, pleased that there were actually fish around in this starving area. "Catch about a few hundred more."

Hojo stood off to the side and watched the others, his injured arm strapped with a white bandage across his chest. He had been feeling miserable for the past few days, not quite wanting to believe the seriousness of his loss. He covered his eyes from the sun. "Are there any more lines?"

Sango looked up from her resting position, leaning against a wooden board. "Hojo… do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, it's probably better not to put too much strain on it."

"Oh…" His eyes drooped as he turned his face away. "That's alright… I understand."

"Hojo! Stand up straight and look her in the eyes." Inuyasha pointed out, his mind still mostly focused on Kagome even after twenty-four hours. "No real man would cower away from that. Be thankful you're still alive and well!"

The young man began to sniffle discreetly, wiping his nose with his final free arm. "Yes sir. It's just that… I… I am….no -" His words were no more than unclear mumbles after that.

Shippou looked over his shoulder at the weeping man, bored. "It's okay Hojo. I mean, at least you don't have to take part in our battles."

"… and you can help Shippou in the navigation room."

"Don't forget you'd be able to help cook and clean."

"In other words," Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Everything he did before but with one less arm?"

Everyone nodded and Hojo stopped his sniffling, finally managing to retain a somewhat dignified appearance. "I apologize for being so pathetic… I just feel like I'm of no use to you guys anymore – and – and if I had to leave now I don't know what I would do."

"You won't be going anywhere. In fact, members of my crew who lose a body part in battle get a higher percentage of our prize to make up for it. Pirate rules." The captain pointed out, heading off to another direction - the direction of the basement. "So I don't want to see you cry again. I have to see enough of that as it is."

Hojo watched him in surprise. "Honest, sir? Oh wow, I didn't know that… I – I - thank you."

"Sure." Inuyasha mumbled, already halfway down the stairs. He hadn't been able to sleep last night because of the horrified expression he had witnessed on her fragile face, and before she could have a chance to break out of the room and murder somebody he needed to go calm her down.

'What if she throws something at me when I walk in the door?'

He sped up and made his way to the bottom floor, the faint foul odour in the hallway tickled his nostrils. The captain stopped in front of the door and began to think of some intelligent words to say to the irritated girl. His mind got to the better of him. 'You know you want to do more than just talk.'

He shut out the voice in his head and placed a hand lightly on the door. The girl only a few meters from him, although she couldn't see him, was luring him in. Something about her made him not able to stay pissed at her for long.

Never had he felt so attracted to another person like that – it was more than her looks. Yet, he was hurting her in ways he probably could never imagine. She tried to expose her kindness and what did he do? Throw her into a dirty prison cell to please the others.

Kagome Higurashi was messing with his emotions and he despised that fact. Before her or Kikyou came along, he could pull off the heartless-bastard image and anybody would have believed it. Kikyou may have changed him slightly, but it was Kagome who actually got him to bend the rules impeccably.

Three days in a manageable room for stealing water? He couldn't lie to himself. He had purposely not brought out the rulebook to read from because he knew what was inside for the seriousness of that crime.

_If any Man shall steel any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, he shall be marooned or shot._

He did not bother to follow every rule, he usually adjusted it to his own well-being. If anybody had a problem with it they wisely chose not to let him know. But he may have pushed it a little too far this time around with her. Inuyasha could never shoot an innocent woman, let alone Kagome, and maroon her on an island? The chances of that were even slimmer.

'She's going to bring me down, that's for sure. But then… why can't I get rid of her?' He sighed, repeating the same question that even sounded old to himself. 'I don't love her though.'

He shoved the heavy door aside, pushing it away from him and gaped at the sight that was presented before him.

The Ginta boy was cross-legged and leaning against the wall, facing whom other than Kagome. Before he barged in, he spotted she had been grinning while talking to him. Oddly enough, he had been too caught up in his own thoughts to overhear them.

"I – eep! Inuyasha? Wha – what are you doing in here?"

"What the fu - ?" He snarled despite them not doing anything. He could not help the inappropriate images of them canoodling in the days he had been upstairs. He slammed the door harshly behind him to ensure no one escaped. "So now I'm not allowed to come in here? ON MY OWN BOAT? Who do you think you are anyway, Kagome?"

"What do you mean by that?" She retorted, standing back to meet his eye level.

"Him! That's what!" The captain pointed at the confused Ginta leaning against the wall. "What's your name again? Ginta? What the hell do you think you're doing? I asked you to bring her food, not sit in here and talk with her for hours! Is this what you two have been doing during these two days?"

"Leave him out of this, jerk!" She stormed up to him until her face was millimetres from this. "Ginta's a wonderful boy! He's a great person to talk to! So what? Am I not allowed to talk to anyone during these damn three days?"

"NO!"

"Well, too bad. I enjoy his company a lot more than yours right now. And if you don't mind, we were in the middle of a funny story." She folded her arms hastily across her chest. "So leave."

"You…" Inuyasha turned his angry stare to the mysterious man, who had already gotten up. "Who the hell are you anyway? I'm sure now I don't know what the hell you are! What is a crap-face like you doing on my boat? Explain yourself or you will regret it!"

"Explain myself?" Ginta dusted himself off, taking another step toward the fuming captain. "I don't believe that is necessary. Right, Kagome?"

"Ginta, what do you mean - ?"

In the instant that Inuyasha turned to look at the girl, a sharp fist quickly imbedded into his stomach, right to the left of his navel. "Oof!" Ginta knew precisely where the body's most sensitive nerve was, and with that light punch Inuyasha's mind spiralled outwards - almost as if his brain had just decided to stop functioning for the while being.

Kagome stared, completely stunned by what the thin man had done to Inuyasha in a fraction of the second, enough to leave the captain sprawled out by her feet. She gasped, her voice no longer functioning. "Wh – wha - "

"It was lovely to talk to you, Miss Kagome." Ginta neared her with a small grin, his knuckles cracking. She squirmed back on the floor with her mouth hanging open; unable to scream for her life. "I enjoyed it a lot."

Kagome had no idea what he did. But just like that.

She was out in a second.

* * *

AN: Well, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. My new beta-reader did an excellent job, and I really liked how it turned out in the end. 

One piece of bad news: To those of you that were wondering where "The Red Card" went, it has been removed by the administration, so I'm kind of depressed by that. Hopefully it will be reposted.


	16. A Changed Woman

AN: I – (a group of angry readers coming running round the bend with torches) am so sorry this chapter took so impossibly long. I know, I say it every time, but this time it really was due to a writer's block. It was actually completed a week after the posting of the last chapter, but since I was stuck and my wonderful beta was busy, this chapter took longer than usual to be released. Once again, sorry. But I'll make it up to everyone by adding more fluff in the next chapter.

**Pirate Pash**

**Chapter 16 – A Changed Woman**

**

* * *

**

A light breeze sweeping over the young woman awoke her, and she barely managed a light yawn. She could feel the turbulence in the way she was moving, but from the way she was rousing, she figured she wasn't exactly walking herself. She was being carried by somebody.

Finally she opened her eyes and took in the first thing she saw - a man's rear end. 'What the…?' Too exhausted to do more than just groan silently, her body went limp and she closed her eyes again.

Her body was persuading her to bar her eyes closed. No matter how hard her body tried to push the idle part of her away, Kagome could feel the lack of air in her throat, and her jelly-like muscles bouncing about on the back of an unfamiliar person.

"You're lucky you got the light one." She overheard one man commenting dryly, "My back's gonna cave in."

"Just dump him."

"I'd love to, but I can't. Strict orders from the boss. 'Bring them back without a scratch'." He paused and glared. "Especially the wench."

The man chuckled. "Strange. If I were him this guy would be at the bottom of the ocean, not getting this first-class treatment."

"No kidding, huh? Shh - somebody's coming. Hand me the knife." The other man warned with a hiss and dropped his load onto the floor.

Still dangling on the stranger's shoulders, Kagome stayed still as another individual entered, "Who -?" before he could finish his question he gasped and crumpled to the ground. The man who had almost certainly attacked him picked up his weight again and motioned to the man. "We have to hurry, the rowboat's on the left side."

"Kouga'd better love us after this." Was the last thing she heard before her hearing too was cut off as she fell back into unconsciouness.

* * *

Hakkaku leaped off the edge of Inuyasha's ship and landed in the tiny rowboat bobbing discreetly under the plank. He turned back up to his partner who glanced both ways before flinging down the first prisoner. 

The mighty captain flew through the air like a package, and had the young man not caught him swiftly, he would have sunk into the ocean. Hakkaku laid him down near his feet and reached his arms out again for the second.

Ginta lightly, and with a bit more care, tossed the unconscious Kagome overboard and into the arms of Hakkaku. He lost his balance for a moment, but managed to steady himself. "Now you, Ginta! I hear someone coming!"

"Alright! Alright!" The other pirate brought himself over the edge and landed with a harsh 'crash!', sending his face smack against the wood. "Oww!"

"For someone who can stun somebody with a single touch you sure are weak." The light-haired man added with a smirk, sitting down and rowing the boat swiftly. Once they were a relatively safe distance from the main vessel, Hakkaku chuckled. "Hey! Look at them."

The woman's body was sprawled above the captain's, her face pressed tightly into the crook of his neck. Her mouth was partly slightly, giving off the impression that they were quite the intimate couple. Had they been conscious, they probably would have shot off each other with their faces bright red.

"Cute. If he was awake I think he'd chop off our balls."

"Hm." Ginta's partner looked over his shoulder at the pirate ship that was fading away in the distance. Within moments nothing surrounded them but pure sky and water. "Y'know, this Inuyasha chap won't be too pleased after he finds out you fooled him like that. Although, I am surprised you managed to get away with it. Your luck is beyond belief."

Ginta pointed at the body of the captain. "Him? Holy shit, I was so sure I was a goner! That other woman on board was even testing me some names of the crew."

"Other woman?" He raised an eyebrow suspiciously and rested one foot on Inuyasha's chest. "Does this pansy have a ship of all women or something?" Hakkaku snickered. "And how did you know their names?"

"Kouga gave me some names to memorize before I snuck on board. She only asked for Miss Kagome's, though. Had it been a name I didn't know, Inuyasha would have chucked me."

"Thank god I wasn't chosen." Hakkaku breathed a sigh of relief. He reached his arms over his head to stretch his sore muscles. "Although getting down to that room was difficult. No one recognized me and I kept getting all these question from the crew. Good thing nobody on that boat is too wary of spies."

"Yea..." Ginta was eyeing the woman intensely, whose face had somehow rolled around to face him. She was smiling slightly and nestling comfortably against Inuyasha's chest.

"Hey, Ginta. Why are you staring at the lady like that?"

"Noth – Nothing." His fingers fiddled nervously and he gave his friend a tense glare. "Swear on your life as a pirate that you won't tell Kouga this, but I hated putting her out. I mean - I've never regretted doing it to anyone but I just feel this ball of guilt in the pit of my stomach."

The other man snorted with disbelief. "It's because she's a woman. You'll get over it soon enough."

"She's smiling at me…" Ginta smiled back despite the fact that she most likely wasn't directing it at him. "What a nice girl… she was such enjoyable company when we were downstairs, and -"

"Stop it before you open your mouth again. Don't you even dare tread those grounds, Ginta!" Hakkaku warned seriously, his muscles bulging from the rowing. "You should know better than anyone else what you were sent to do. And that was to fetch _Kouga's_ woman."

"Of course I know that, idiot!"

"Then stop smiling at her."

Ginta ignored him, but instead of watching the girl his gaze turned toward the new boat that was now pulling into view. The familiar pirate ship was a little smaller than Inuyasha's, but he personally preferred it. The ship felt like home and in his opinion, he thought it was stronger. "We're home."

They watched silently as their buddies ran onto the deck to wave and call them in, clapping and hooting at their success. They could clearly see Kouga from the window, his face beaming.

"WE'RE BACK!" Ginta screamed, waving his hands madly in the air. "AND WE'VE GOT COMPANY!"

The cheering roared even louder and everyone could spot the two new figures aboard the boat. Kouga had come out of his room to watch the arrival of his worst enemy and his woman. 'So they succeeded…'

"Ginta! Hakkaku!"

They docked their boat at the base and quickly scurried up the steady rope ladder. They were carrying the bodies over their shoulders and deposited them when they reached the top. The Wolf Gang crew stared at the two figures laying on the ship with devilish smiles upon their faces.

"So what should we do with him?"

"Let's kick him until he coughs up blood."

"No, wait! Let's torture him slowly and then - "

Their captain broke the silence with a simple wave. "Enough! Ginta and Hakkaku will be rewarded for their services, and none of you are to touch the prisoners -."

"But Kouga, we should kill him before he wakes up." All eyes turned to stare at the person who had interrupted the captain. "I mean, Ginta's stun attack only works once on a person, so when this captain wakes up in a few hours he'll go absolutely ballistic and murder us all!"

"Don't flatter him." Kouga sneered and nudged Inuyasha slightly in the ribs with his boot, receiving a soft grumble in response. "Everyone back to work. First I have to get some work done, and I'll deal with them when I'm finished." He turned his back. "You guys know what to do."

* * *

He shook his arms to rub his eyes but felt somewhat constricted. Inuyasha snapped open his eyes and realized right away that he wasn't in the right place. 'Please don't tell me we're on that damn island again…' 

Inuyasha shook his head and once again tried to move his arms, but found he couldn't. His head was spinning and a certain sore spot in his body was cramping tremendously.

What the hell had happened?

Looking up, he swore at the sight of the silver chains holding his wrists above his head and to the wall. His feet were bolted by metal chains leading to balls of metal, and his arms felt like they were losing every ounce of blood.

"Where is this?" He snarled angrily, not able to fully react because he was only half-awake and still faint. He was in a prison cell. And it wasn't the one that Kagome was locked in.

'Wait… I locked Kagome in a cell, but then something happened. Shit! Where is she?' He glanced around quickly and his heart almost stopped when he noticed she was resting next to him, in the same position as he was, but devoid of the leg chains. Her face was lowered and she appeared to be asleep.

"Kagome! Kagome!" He shouted, wanting desperately to slap some sense into the woman but not able to because of his restricted movement. "Wake up!"

"Souta, I told you…" She seemed to have been roused from her sleep, but he sighed when she began to snore lightly.

"KAGOME, GET UP!"

"Wha -? Where?" She shook her head and snapped open her eyes, turning around to face him before squeaking. "Inuyasha? Why are you in here with me?" Obviously she still thought they were on their ship. The young woman looked down at herself before turning bright red. "What is wrong with you lately, Inuyasha? Why did you tie us up?"

"Are you hurt?" He asked quickly.

She ignored his question as she absorbed the surroundings. This was a smaller metal cell, not like the roomy wooden one she had been locked in earlier. "Why are we on this ship? Whose ship is this?" Kagome growled furiously, to his surprise, and tugged at her bindings again. "Damn! I've had enough of this."

He began to tug at his chains as well, pulling with every last ounce of his strength at the powerful cords. Inuyasha wheezed and gasped after a minute of intense struggling, but nothing budged the bondage. 'I can't believe I let Kagome and I get into this….'

However, when he turned his head he tried very hard not to become too fascinated by her display, although he failed quite miserably. He watched Kagome squirm about with another scenario in his mind in which she would be shaking and gasping as she tugged at the restraints. 'Why am I thinking of that in this kind of situation?'

"It's no use, Inuyasha…" She whined – effectively ending his perverted train of thought. "Who could have done this to us? Was it anyone we know?"

"Keh! How am I supposed to know? I can barely even remember entering your room, all I remember is that everything turned black. It felt like somebody threw a sack over my head." He strained to remember, but his mind felt drained – his brain was still desperately trying to piece everything together.

"…Ginta." Kagome whispered into the cold air. "He was the only one – but… but he couldn't have! He wasn't that sort of - "

"Ginta?" He blinked a few times before the traitor's face appeared in his mind. "I remember that slimy bastard now…"

"But he couldn't have!" She could not believe this. But no one else could have had such easy access to her cell. And there was a faint image in her head of Inuyasha being wiped out that set everything in place. She glared at him. "I still can't believe he managed to get you out cold so fast."

"Don't talk about it." He snapped, his pride deflated. "No way on earth that shrimp managed to get me down on the floor."

She watched him with a confused expression. "See… that's exactly your problem, you arrogant ass!" She took a deep breath, in obvious preparation for a tirade, "You underestimate people all the time and look where we are now! What kind of a captain are you? Not even knowing traitors were aboard…" She glared, eyes full of accusation.

She hadn't really meant for her words to come out so bitter and harsh, but she was downright irritated. There she was, bouncing back and forth from one cell to another like some common prisoner, and even worse was the fact that HE had been one to do it to her the first time, starting this whole delightful chain of events.

The captain gaped at her. For a second he saw a glimpse of his past girlfriend in her, and it made his blood boil. Kikyou was nothing but a cold-hearted, cruel, and hurtful bitch… nothing at all like Kagome. "Oi! What's up with you?"

"My arms are numb and I feel like the cell is closing in on me. And my arms feel like they're going to fall off…" Her voice lowered and she closed her eyes, her mouth trembling lightly as her anger faded into exhaustion and hopelessness.

He sighed and tried to use his most compassionate voice to convince the sniffling girl. "Kagome, don't do that now. I need to get us away from here."

"Well, now you know how it feels to be locked up like a rat." Her voice quickly picked up and she looked enraged again with renewed energy. She snapped with venom in her voice. "Serves you right."

"What the hell is up with you, woman? Don't you dare turn into a bitch all of a sudden!"

"Or what, Inuyasha?" She retorted angrily, the images of him bolting her in that cell returning to her by the second. "What will you do to me, huh? Come on! I'd like to see what a great captain like you could do."

"Take a deep breath, wench. You're losing your mind."

"Don't try to act like the adult here, Inuyasha! I know you're not even thinking about how to save us, but how you were 'weak' enough to lose to Ginta! Listen, no need to be sore about losing." Her voice laced with sarcasm.

That was it.

"Shit, Kagome! You bitch! Just shut your mouth and stop squealing. I can't take much more of it!" He sighed and attempted to struggle against at the bonds again. "And I'm not sore about losing to that wimp. You're just too much of a crybaby to deal with anything yourself so you blame me, is that right?" He couldn't stop his mouth now. "Who was the one screwing around with him downstairs anyway?"

Her mouth dropped open and nothing came out.

He turned away from her coldly and started tugging again at his ties. "I can't - believe this – crappy - " He was pretty much waiting for her to start crying again, but she didn't.

She bit her lips and turned to face the other way. "We're probably going to be murdered and… and tortured! They'll hold knives at our throats until we tell them everything…" The reality of their situation had finally hit her. "Inu – Inuyasha… I'm worried…"

"All I want to know is how we managed to get spies aboard. How did they get onto our ship without us noticing? Damn! I can't believe I fell for that bastard's trick!" He swore.

"Glad to know you acknowledge your failure."

"You…" Inuyasha glanced up from his position on the wall as a new voice entered their conversation, and he practically tore out the bindings on the wall. Anyone… anyone but this jerk. He would much rather be caught by that hair-fetish Yura than him…

"Kouga?"

The arrogant pirate watched his two fuming captures with a huge beam on his face. "Tsk. Tsk. Inuyasha. I guess I won this round, haven't I?" He took another step closer. "How does it feel knowing that you're tied up in my basement while your ship is leader-less and probably drifting in circles?"

He snorted. "Keh! They know what they're doing."

"AND…" Kouga pointed out, taking a few more steps toward Kagome, who was watching with an absolutely perplexed expression. He dragged the back of his finger along her cheek tenderly and she quickly twisted her head away. "How does it feel knowing that Kagome is now mine?"

This Inuyasha could not take. "Get your filthy hands off her. You couldn't even capture us yourself. You sent some slimy pigs to do all your dirty work. Disgusting bastard."

"I would watch my mouth if I were you, prisoner." Kouga hissed, lightly touching her chin and bringing it closer to his face. She struggled against his hold but could not do much in her confined state. "You do realize that I could kill you this second. And I would not consider my actions filthy, as long as I win in the long run."

"Kouga, get your hands off me." Kagome breathed, squeezing her eyes shut and pulling away even more so than before. Nothing was making much sense anymore. She stared at him in bewilderment. "I can't believe you're doing this to us."

The captain grinned and stroked her right arm up and down. She shuddered under his touch. "Your arms must hurt, Kagome. Here." He quickly reached his hand into his vest pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "I'm sorry I had you in this crap hole for so long."

Both she and Inuyasha watched in silence as Kouga released her from her hand cuffs. She pulled her arms down and massaged them lightly to regain the blood flow. Then she turned to the bitter Inuyasha. "Now let him go too."

She was completely thrown off guard when he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against his chest. "Wha -? Let me go, Kouga!" She angrily punched his strong chest but he was far stronger than she was, and she was trapped in his embrace. She did not want Inuyasha to see this.

"I can't let him go, Kagome. But YOU – you will be accompanying me in my room as my woman. It's furnished beautifully and you'll love it."

"Are you deaf?" Inuyasha shouted. "She said she didn't want to go with you so let her go! You have to have the thickest skull in the world, you wimpy wolf!"

"Shut your face, dog." Kouga turned to him with a furious glare. "She's finished with you for good. I'm going to take great care of her."

He chuckled and tightened his arms around the woman still hostile against his hold. "I haven't thought of what to do to you yet, dog-breath. But just to piss you off even more I'm going to tell you that we're arriving at a large town with a huge chance of having the Shikon within hours. We're going to raid the place and then you're probably going to be left here to rot while I become the strongest man on Earth. With Kagome as my wife."

"I'm not going to be your wife! Let me go! And let him go, too!" She said angrily, too afraid to face her captain, who was probably ready to tear apart the ship.

"You'll grow to love me, Kagome. I'll make sure of it. Now, let's bring you upstairs, why don't we?"

She sneered at him and refused to move, her eyes filled with pure anger. "Either I stay here or I will jump overboard the second you're not looking."

He raised an eyebrow at the woman. "You're suggesting that you'd rather spend time in a cell with dog-breath than come live in luxury with me?" Kouga asked in astonishment.

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I thought I told you that I'm not interested." She stated clearly. "I demand you bring us back to our ship."

"Hm. Can't do that, love. I don't have that kind of time nor energy. We're already heading towards our next destination, and you'll be following me into the town. I want you to watch me absorb all the power imaginable to man."

She sighed. "You aren't listening to a word I'm saying, Kouga." Then it hit her. She had a decent plan and she was going to try and follow through with it. Staying in the cell wouldn't give her the freedom to save them both. If only…

"I'm way too much of a gentleman to leave you in this crummy place. Come on now, we don't have much time."

Perfect.

"We have to hurry." He grabbed her arm and began to head towards the door. "We're arriving in an hour or so and I need to get my crew together."

Kagome sent Inuyasha an apologetic look over her shoulder sadly before following Kouga out the doors. "Kagome?" Inuyasha watched with a pained expression on his face. The captain could not believe his eyes. She brushes the guy off at first and now she just follows him like a loyal servant. "Why the hell are you following him, Kagome?"

She kept her back to him as Kouga began to lock the doors.

"Kagome, what are you doing? Answer me, damnit!"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha…" She didn't want to hurt him, she really didn't. She could tell by the horrified look on his face that she had done more than that. His brown eyes were filled with confusion and his face looked suddenly pale. But they had to get off this ship as soon as they could.

And she was going to do it any way she could, even if it meant pretending to love Kouga.

* * *

"Miroku! Sango! Something's horribly wrong!" 

The pirate ship led by Captain Inuyasha was leading towards an uproar.

"The captain and Miss Kagome seem to have disappeared from the face of the ship!" Hojo stumbled up the stairs and hurried to the couple cooking up their dinner: fish that Shippou had caught that afternoon.

"What?" Sango stared at the injured man. "Are you kidding me? We saw Inuyasha a while ago."

"Hojo, he's most likely in the basement visiting Miss Kagome." Miroku added as he took a bite into his burnt fish. "I knew it was bothering him! Maybe they're making up in the prison cell?"

"No! I went to go check a minute ago because I was looking for the captain and he was nowhere on the upper or main floors, and definitely not in his room. Then… then I went to go check in the cell and the door wasn't locked. Miss Kagome has vanished as well."

"Don't you think it's a little early to be saying 'vanished'? For all we know they could be hiding somewhere." Sango didn't seem impressed. "How could they just disappear like that? They don't have anywhere to go."

Both leaders resumed to their meal, ignoring Hojo's comments.

"I'm dead serious!" Hojo pleaded, his bandaged arm flinging about.

"Are there any other missing crew members?"

Hojo stopped to think about it. "I'm not too sure, but Miss Sango should know. After all, didn't you bring her the meals everyday? Did you see her earlier today?"

She shook her head and stopped paying attention to the burnt slab of fish. "No… no I didn't. Inuyasha specifically told me not to go for some odd reason. I haven't seen Kagome in days."

"But then… who brought her the meals? Did the captain do it?"

Sango dropped her dinner onto the floor and her face turned urgent. She glanced around before taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Ginta."

"Who's Ginta?" Manten chose that exact moment to wander into the kitchen to check on the progress of dinner. "I've never heard of him."

"Manten." Miroku inquired. "When did you last see the captain or Miss Kagome?"

"Hmm… I remember I saw the captain a few hours ago. I passed by when you were all fishing. The wench I don't recall or care about."

"Then… then Hojo's not exaggerating. Ginta got to them! I knew something was wrong…" Sango gasped and reached for the sword at her hip. "Quick! Announce to everyone aboard! It's an emergency! Start a thorough search of the ship right away!"

"But… somebody had to have seen them…" Hojo added in a confused tone of voice. He suddenly turned his face toward the exit. "Do you think the five men saw anything?"

Miroku shrugged. "Perhaps. But I believe it is time to release them. They look like they're on their last legs. Order someone to do so right away. And inform Hiten of the emergency situation."

Hojo nodded and made his way to the deck. He lowered the men by releasing a knot and brought them down slowly by dragging the rope. "Your punishment has ended, men."

They looked no better than sick old men with scurvy laying on the ground like that. They were scattered on the floor and all with their eyes shut. He could barely stand to look at their pasty faces. Someone ran over at the moment with a pitcher of water.

He lowered himself and felt their wrists, but the only person with a faint pulse was Sogo, who was now gasping for air. Hojo immediately fed him some of the drink, and he gulped it down in small gulps.

The others needed to be disposed of… 'This is too cruel.' He thought bitterly, still helping the man drink. 'They deserved to live.'

Sango, Miroku, Hiten and Manten made their way out as well, and soon most of the crew followed. "Are – I mean, is Sogo the only surviving prisoner?"

"I believe so."

Everyone stared quietly and gulped. None of them felt like running away from battle just then, no matter how gruesome it was. Their tarred bodies laid there and their cheekbones were apparent, showing through their skin.

"Do a prayer for your comrades, men!" Hiten swiftly stepped up onto the platform, "Because they are the result of a cowardly act. Now let's say goodbye and drop them overboard."

Before any of them could respond, Sogo began to sputter his liquid and opened his eyes warily. "I… I - "

"What is he trying to say?" Hiten asked impatiently, feeling quite proud of himself for being able to order the crew around without another presence around to govern him. "Get it out of him."

"I… I saw…"

"What did you see?" Sango asked worriedly.

"Captain… Ka – Kagom…" He wheezed and leaned back. "Taken… by two - men…" Sogo soon gave in had to close his mouth wearily. His stomach was growling again and he had barely any energy left to continue.

"Two?" Miroku asked, "but Sango said there was only one."

"There must have been another." Someone from the crew pointed out.

"Only talk when you are spoken to!" Hiten cut him off rudely. "You are not permitted to speak unless I give you the permission to."

He quickly shut his mouth.

"Hiten, let him speak. He might have something important to say." Mioku pointed a staff at the older man who now looked frightened for his life. "Speak, old man."

He nodded and proceeded. "Sir, earlier today these two men I had not ever seen before were talking to each other, and when I approached them they practically jumped. 'Do I know you two?', I asked, and they told me I did. I still wasn't sure and felt suspicious, but I'm positive I've never seen those two before and I've been around here for twenty-five years."

"What did they look like?"

The old man paused to recount his encounter. "One had this strange, spiky blond hair and the other had this short black hair with a stripe. Similar to that of a skunk. They both looked relatively young."

"I recognise Ginta," Sango said calmly, "But who's the other?"

"Who cares?" Manten said angrily. "All we know is that Inuyasha has been captured. Where do we begin to search for them?"

"We won't." Hiten surprised the group once again by his loud announcement. "I don't know why Inuyasha was captured. We all trusted him to defend himself and he failed us as a whole. We're probably dealing with a strong enemy here, and looking for them isn't the best thing to do. We should wait it out until we get some sort of signal. Otherwise we'll be circling and looking for nothing."

"And we might run into the navy." Manten added for his brother.

"Precisely." Hiten nodded appreciatively. "Do you all understand my order?"

"But Hiten," Sango asked, "What if we don't get a sign at all? Are we just going to ignore our captain's capture and do nothing to assist him?"

He sent the woman a disgusted look before snorting. "If he doesn't return, then I guess we'll figure something out then."

* * *

"I see it. Do you, Kagome?" Kouga held her back front the edge of the ship as they watched the boat head toward a village alongside the ocean. "That's the destination." 

She rolled her eyes without interest. "That's nice."

Her caught onto the sarcasm in her voice. "Don't tell me you're still feeling bad for dog shit. I've told you a million times that I won't kill him."

"But you're going to leave him there to die slowly, which is even worse." The young woman pointed out in disgust. "I don't see why you two have to feud like this. It pisses me off."

Kouga was taken back by her usage of language, but discovered she was fiery, and he liked a strong woman. "It's a male thing, Kagome. A delicate woman like yourself needn't bother to understand it."

"Hm." She hmphed in a very Inuyasha-like fashion. She hated it when people called her delicate.

Kouga rubbed his hands together in anticipation as they neared the island. "I can't wait to get in there." He smiled happily and smirked. "The Shikon will be mine by the end of the day."

"What are your crew getting, then?" She asked innocently.

"Who knows. I'll be too powerful by then to worry about stuff like that. They'll be rewarded, most likely, after I take over the country." His vision was growing stronger as they slowly docked the ship in a hidden area behind a forest. "And you, my dear, will be spoiled with riches."

"That doesn't really interest me." It was true, too. Riches never appealed to her as much as it did to the other young women from her island. They always had wagers with one another to see which wealthy bachelor they could snatch and whose husband was the richest. She was too busy selling flowers for Souta to worry about those gold diggers and their petty bets.

"Money doesn't interest you?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's rare."

She shook her head. "I suppose it is to most people. But as long as your stomach's full with good food and you have warm clothing and a roof over your head, you should be grateful enough. I don't need terribly expensive jewelry or any of that nonsense."

"Don't worry. I'll teach you to enjoy the more… pleasurable things in life." He smirked and she backed away slowly. "I can envision it now, we'll be swimming in pools of diamonds together."

"Captain! We are already docked and ready to proceed!" Hakkaku rushed over and he breathed a sigh of relief when Kagome did not recognize him. He lowered his head in respect and awaited his order from the captain.

"Great. All is going to plan. We'll capture this small town and then I want a thorough search of each home. I want every crook and cranny to be searched, and if nothing is found, set it on fire."

"But sir, won't that destroy our treasure?"

"All the more reason to burn it. The Shikon will glow brightly in a fire and when we put it out it will remain completely unharmed. Anyone who sees it is to report to me immediately," he ordered and his lackey quickly nodded. "Now go inform the crew of it."

"Set it on fire?" Kagome watched the man she had though of as somewhat fair-hearted with a frown. "I can't believe you, Kouga! That's their home! And you're setting it all on fire for some stupid prize?"

"It's not stupid, dear. But if you want I can order my crew not to set houses on fire until the people are gone or dead."

"Were you planning to do that when they were still in the house?" She snapped, amazed, as painful memories forced their way back into her head. People she knew screaming with every last breath from burning buildings…

"I can't believe I'm listening to this! You're kidding." She convinced herself as Kouga led her off the ship, the booming steps of his men chanting ringing in her ears.

But nothing she could say registered in his mind, because when she looked up at his face all she saw was greed. He was so desperate for this jewel that his face looked like one of a hungry dog.

And it scared her.


End file.
